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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26159398">In Her Element</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireminji/pseuds/fireminji'>fireminji</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Avatar &amp; Benders Setting, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Humor, No Angst, Sexual Humor, as in endless innuendos, assassin handong, avatar yoohyeon, chi blocker gahyeon, earth/metal bender bora, fire princess minji, handong is secretly soft, kyoshi warrior yubin, serial flirter bora, water bender siyeon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:08:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>52,348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26159398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireminji/pseuds/fireminji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After turning 21, the secret Avatar Yoohyeon sets out with Kyoshi warrior Yubin to find benders to teach her the remaining elements. Will Yoohyeon become the greatest avatar with the help of a fire nation heir in hiding, a lethal assassin, a traumatized water bender, a cocky earth bender, a talented chi blocker, and her warrior best friend?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Han Dong | Handong/Lee Gahyeon/Lee Yubin | Dami, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>358</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Minji Backstory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello~ this is my very first fic! I saw a pic of Minji in her BOCA stage outfit and she had such strong fire bender vibes that I simply had to create this dreamcatcher/avatar au. This is probably going to be pretty long, I want to develop all the characters well independently before they meet up for the real action, so please be patient! I am open to feedback/criticism/requests/etc. so please leave comments. Happy reading &amp; stream BOCA.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Warmth was a familiar feeling to Minji. From the vibrant, red locks that graced her head, to the simmering feeling within her, warmth flowed from Minji. Sometimes it was gentle, a bright smile, other times it was harsh, curling off her fingertips in sunset shaded tendrils, scorching anything in the way. Of course, she rarely burned without intention; the heir to the fire nation requires incredible control over her bending, after all. While most of her fire bending prowess was due to her natural affinity, it also was a product of careful training. From the moment Minji’s bending was revealed (at the age of 4 when her sneeze had set the tablecloth on fire), her parents, the king and queen of the fire nation, enrolled her with the best fire bending tutors available. Her childhood was almost entirely occupied by training, whether it be bending, royal etiquette, general knowledge, or baking (Minji’s favorite), the young girl was always learning. “You can never have too much knowledge,” her mother often announced, unprovoked. </p><p>“That’s right. And with more knowledge comes a greater advantage over the enemy,” her father added. Minji could only politely agree, before turning her face to roll her eyes. It is not that Minji disliked learning; in fact, she was always eager to see new perspectives. However, to have her daylight burn away with only new facts about fire nation history and tender callouses to confirm the passage of time: this was not the life Minji wanted to live. Minji, the girl with passion as vigorous as the expectations placed upon her, yearned for more. More freedom. More human connection. More. When she thought about her desire for more, she would often laugh, if not bitterly, at the silly notion. She was the heir to the fire nation: her life was the epitome of excess, whether it be wealth, prestige, power. Her life, on the surface, was the definition of more. Yet here she was wishing for more when truly she was wishing for less. </p><p>Being the fire nation heir was an inherently lonely role. Sure, Minji befriended everyone she met; her charm paired with her sincerity were an unrivaled combination that no one could resist. Despite Minji the <em>person</em> being the ideal friend, Minji the <em>fire princess</em> lacked true friendship. While some people only wanted to be close to her to gain status, others were too intimidated by her royal title to even approach. In either case, her own blood betrayed her, leaving her isolated despite living in a heavily populated kingdom. </p><p>Well, she wasn’t entirely alone; her bunny-dog, Cherry, was always there for her, even if their conversations were strongly one-sided. She also had her Uncle Iroh, who carried Minji’s sanity almost entirely on his shoulders. He never failed to crack a joke, especially at the most inappropriate times, causing Minji to laugh joyfully before being scolded by her etiquette tutor (“Princesses can not SNORT when they laugh”). Unbeknownst to Iroh, Minji appreciated when he humored her unattainable dreams the most. She was 17 when she first spoke her secrets aloud. “Uncle, I don’t want to be the Fire Lord. I want a simple life. If I could, I would own a bakery, maybe in the Earth Kingdom; they have the best sweets, you know. Cherry would be with me, of course. Perhaps I could get another bunny-dog, too, so she wouldn’t feel lonely while I am at the bakery all day. OH--I could just bring her with me! She would love that,” Minji explained excitedly with the kind of fire in her eyes that was rarely seen these days. “I would love that,” she added, almost too softly, as if she were ashamed to admit it. She released a sigh, half-dreamy; half-wistful. </p><p>“That’s a wonderful idea! Would you sell cream puffs? You know those are my favorite,” Iroh asked sincerely.</p><p>“Of course, Uncle, and they would be shaped like Cherry!” Minji expanded upon the fantasy. </p><p>“Mmm, I think those will be delicious. You should do it; open the bakery. I will be your number one supporter,” Iroh encouraged. A sudden knot formed in Minji’s throat. While she loved when Iroh indulged her fantasies, she couldn’t help the pain that arose when she was reminded that her dreams were impossible. All she could offer Iroh was a half-hearted smile that did little to hide the sadness in her eyes. Unbeknownst to Minji, Iroh planned to make her dreams attainable. </p><p>                                                                                                              ***</p><p>Years passed at a rate both too slow, yet too quick for Minji. On one hand, the years dragged on, blending into a montage of preparation for her coronation, one in which Minji felt like a passive observer, rather than the main character. On the other hand, it was already the night before her 21st birthday; by the morning, her father would step down from his role as Fire Lord and Minji would take his place. As she stared at her reflection in her vanity mirror, she considered her past. She spent so long lamenting about her days of training and other mundane princess activities, yet she would give anything to get those days back, if it meant postponing her promotion into a role she did not want. Before her mind could fall too deep into rumination, a knock on her bedroom door pulled her back into reality. Blinking once, twice, she invited the guest in with a polite, “You may enter.” The door opened to reveal her beloved Uncle Iroh. </p><p>“Good evening, princess. Or should I call you Fire Lord now?” Iroh greeted lightheartedly. Unfortunately, Minji’s heart was anything but light at the moment. </p><p>“Not for another couple of hours; princess will suffice until then,” she put simply, not hiding the lackluster in her voice. Rarely would she pass an opportunity to jest with her uncle: now was one of those rare times. The ever-observant old man was quick to pick up on Minji’s melancholy, so he decided to cut right to the chase.</p><p>“I wanted to give you your birthday gift a little early. Something tells me you’ll be able to enjoy it before tomorrow comes,” Iroh offered ambiguously. He approached her and handed over a small, simply wrapped gift box. Delicately, Minji opened the gift to reveal a plastic bottle. </p><p>“Uncle, this is hair dye?” she questioned more than stated. </p><p>“It is,” he confirmed, “You’ll need to hide that red hair if you want to blend in amongst the citizens of the Earth Kingdom.” Confusion with a hint of pain flashed across Minji’s face.</p><p>“Please, Uncle, don’t joke about that. Not today,” she scolded. Iroh approached her and put his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, his expression becoming serious.</p><p>“This isn’t a joke, Minji. When you first mentioned how you didn’t want to be Fire Lord all those years ago, and how you wanted to own a bakery in the Earth Kingdom, I started to prepare. It has been a long time in the making, but everything is finally ready,” he explained earnestly, “There is a building in Omashu, nothing too fancy, but there's a full kitchen in the back and plenty of display cases for all your pastries up front. Upstairs is a little apartment; I took the liberty of furnishing it with the necessities. You'll find important documents and what not on your desk there; everything you need to start your new life," Iroh stated. Minji's jaw hung open, as she was unable to process everything her uncle was saying. "Oh, and you'll need this too," he remembered, pressing a little paper rectangle into her hand. She looked down to see an identification card. On it, there was an image of her, or at least a version of her, this one wearing black hair and Earth Kingdom citizen's clothing. Next to the image was some general information: age, height, etc. all of which were accurate, except for the name: Jiu Min. Iroh must have seen her noticing the name. "You didn't think you could keep your name without being recognized, did you? Jiu is a common enough name that you won't stand out. Are you happy with it? I'm only seeing shock on your face, so I can't tell," questioned Iroh. </p><p>"I--" Minji began, but she had no other words. Her mind was blank; head empty. She felt like she should cry, or maybe laugh? But nothing came out. Surely her face was pale when she finally looked back at her uncle. "Is this a joke? Because it's not very funny," she asked, trying not to get her hopes up.</p><p>"I know I'm always joking, but this is real. There is a car waiting for you a few blocks from the palace, it will take you to the train station when you're ready. The driver will give you a satchel with everything you need; all of the arrangements are already in place. Get yourself ready, your new life awaits," Iroh described. And with that, it finally clicked for Minji: this was really happening. She threw her arms around Iroh and hugged him with her whole being. </p><p>"You'll never know how much this means to me. I can't thank you enough," she breathed out as the tears finally began to fall. </p><p>"You don't have to thank me, dear. You deserve this," he put simply, hugging her back, "Once you get to the apartment, there will be a phone on your desk. Next to it, I wrote a number, it's for my secure phoneline. If you ever need me, call me there. I'll try to visit you once it is safe." He pulled back from the hug to look at his niece once more. "I'm so proud of you, Minji. Good luck with everything. And happy birthday," he added with a wink. With that, Minji was left alone. With her hair dye in hand, she prepared for a better life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Handong Backstory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Handong is a badass assassin with the hobby of helping people. As she people-watches in the Omashu marketplace, she notices a woman who looks incredibly out of place. The more she observes, the more certain she becomes that she knows the mysterious woman, but from where?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to chapter 2! This one stars Handong as the rich and powerful legend she is. Happy reading. Please leave feedback and stream BOCA.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Handong was not an elite assassin because she needed the income, she did it because she was <em>bored</em>. Well, actually, it did not start out that way. After seeing her favorite girl group be snubbed by the music industry time and time again, she finally took matters into her own hands. When the girl group came in second place, again, the body of the CEO from the very same music awards show was found floating in his pool the  next day, with his ears sliced clean off (maybe if he stanned Dreamcatcher, he would have been able to keep his ears, no one can know for sure). While the assassination could not be tied to Handong, since she left not a molecule of incriminating evidence behind, word traveled of her “alleged” handiwork. Soon, she was getting commissioned left and right. She was known for her precision, particularly with throwing stars; rumor has it she could cut off a target’s eyelashes from 60 meters away (the rumor was true). Even though Handong was drowning in job offers, she never abandoned her morals. She only accepted a job in which the target seemed truly evil. As time went by, Handong became numb to the feeling of taking her targets' lives. She justified her actions by deeming that those people never deserved life in the first place. After years of killing, the lives’ she ended were merely notches in her belt; a statistic and nothing more. </p><p>One might believe that her career eradicated any humanity left inside her, but that wasn't the case. Handong came from an excessively wealthy family, as in never-check-a-price-tag wealthy. Truth be told, she did indulge on shopping trips from time to time; fashion was her one and only weakness. Nonetheless, most of her wealth funded her other hobby: making anonymous donations. She went about this by first collecting intel in the Omashu marketplace. In other words, she would eavesdrop and observe people. Whether it be an old woman admitting to being behind on rent or a little boy loudly wishing for new shoes, they would all mysteriously have their wishes fulfilled by the very next day. When it came to her gift giving, people actually wanted to be Handong’s target, for once. </p><p>Today, Handong was back at the Omashu market, half-browsing goods and half-observing those around her. Truth be told, she wasn’t really focusing on either, but even then she was still infinitely more astute than the average person. The problem was that everything and everyone around her was the same. She had been in Omashu for a few years now, and it always seemed to be the same characters at the marketplace. Handong was growing tired of the monotony, even considering leaving the city in search of a new home. It would be risky though, since her career left her with more enemies than friends. At least in Omashu, she would remain anonymous enough to not always need to look over her shoulder. So for now, the mundane life would have to do. Decidedly done with her browsing, Handong slunk to the perimeter of the market, shifting all of her focus onto the patrons. As her eyes passed over them, she easily put names to faces, their life stories organized neatly in her mental rolodex. Then she noticed a young woman at the fruit stall. Even though Handong was rather far from her, it was unusual for her to not instantly recognize the young woman, as she did with every other patron in the market. The thought of someone new, finally, made Handong almost giddy. Ever composed though, Handong muted her excitement and instead gracefully glided closer to the woman, so that she could inspect her better. </p><p>To say the woman was beautiful would be criminally understated. Silky, black hair gathered into a top-knot on her head, while the remainder trailed down her back. Her facial features were soft, yet almost regal: smooth, blemish-free skin, a delicate nose, the gentle curve of lips, and eyes that were as bright as they were sharp. While the woman herself was majestic, her clothes were anything but: a simple oversized tunic in muted green and unflattering, beige wool pants. Handong knew clothes and what they signified; this woman was clearly lower class. And yet, she had a difficult time believing such an elegant woman could belong to the lower, working class. Even from where Handong was situated, she could tell the woman lacked the coarseness that came along with outdoor, manual labor. This woman reminded her of the fancy dishes one keeps in the cabinet but never actually uses: a little too polished and free of mark from never seeing the light of day. Her fascination drew her closer still to the anomaly-of-a-woman, yet she remained distant enough to go unnoticed. The more she studied her face, the more Handong grew suspicious. There was something familiar about that face; she knew that she had never met this woman, though her face felt known, somehow. Maybe she was an actress from a film Handong saw? Or perhaps a model? Both thoughts were dismissed, however, since they would not explain why the woman was in common clothes at the lowly Omashu marketplace. Yet, Handong could swear that she has seen this woman before. As she tried to connect the dots in her mind, Handong continued to behold the woman, who was now buying banana-berries. Or at least she was <em>trying</em> to buy them. The expression on the woman’s face seemed to be a puzzled one as she tried to estimate the price of the fruit. “Excuse me, sir. I would like to buy these banana-berries. Will 25 yuan be enough?” Handong heard the mystery woman ask sincerely. Even if she wasn’t watching the exchange from so close, anyone could see the bewilderment on the fruit-seller’s face from a mile away. </p><p>“Um, no, they are actually 1.5 yuan, miss,” the man explained skeptically. It was probably his first time having to tell someone that they did not have to pay as much as they were offering. Even Handong knew the going rate of fruit, and she was disgustingly rich. </p><p><em>For someone to think banana-berries cost 25 yuan, they must not get out to shop for groceries often. Or get out at all, for that matter,</em> Handong thought, jokingly. To her own surprise, the joking thought is what made all of the pieces click together. Wanting to confirm her theory, she continued to watch as the woman was all too delighted to hear how “affordable” the fruit was, paying with a 5 yuan bill and insisting that the seller keep the change. That exchange was enough to confirm that, despite her attire, the woman was definitely not a member of the working class. Now, Handong only needed a bit more evidence to confirm that the woman was precisely who she believed her to be. </p><p>After receiving her purchase, the woman began to leave the market, with Handong trailing silently behind her, at a respectful distance. She followed the girl until she stopped in front of an unassuming building, which Handong recognized as a former tea shop that had recently been renovated; there was now an industrially-equipped kitchen in the back, according to Handong’s sources. While the girl fished out her keys to the side door of the building, her back facing Handong, Handong knew it was her only chance to confirm her theory. She approached in an attempt to verbally interrogate the woman, but received evidence far more useful. </p><p>Perhaps Handong had not been as silent as she had thought, not that she had particularly been trying to be, because the woman whipped around and kicked a whip of fire at her head before Handong could even blink. Luckily for her eyebrows, which surely would have been burned off, she was the most notorious assassin for a reason; her body naturally, gracefully, dodged the flames and caught the woman’s ankle right before it collided with the left side of her head, all without needing to spare a thought on her actions: she was <em>that</em> good. The now obvious fire bender was frozen in shock, her left leg suspended in the air, held firmly in the presumed stalker’s grip, while her precious banana-berries were long forgotten on the ground. “Didn’t think I’d find a fire bender when I went to the market today,” Handong started, still holding the woman's leg up, “let alone the missing fire nation princess.” Before she could try to hide it, panic jumped across the fire bender’s face. To her credit, it was quickly replaced by a more composed look of determination. </p><p>“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the accused woman defended. Handong scoffed and released the woman’s leg, already having her right where she wanted her. </p><p>“So the fact that the heir to the fire nation throne went missing not long ago is unrelated to the fact that there was a fire bender trying to pay 25 yuan for banana-berries in an Earth Kingdom marketplace?” Handong asked, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. The woman’s face dropped immediately. </p><p>“Maybe I have a small idea of what you’re talking about,” the woman admitted, defeatedly, “So how much do I have to pay you to shut your mouth?” To that Handong let out a smooth laugh.</p><p>“Oh, please. I don’t want your money,” Handong assured her.</p><p>“So what? Are you going to kill me?” she asked Handong. Handong pretended to consider it, but she already knew she would never hurt the girl.</p><p>“No, actually, I plan to do the opposite,” Handong informed her, “You clearly won’t make it here on your own without blowing your cover, and I am the master of not getting caught,” she added with a smirk. “So, I’m going to help you. Mostly because you’re the most interesting thing to happen around here in a long time, but I also have this overwhelming urge to protect you.” The fire princess raised her eyebrows in surprise at the confession, followed by a tiny, smug smirk. “Don’t let it go to your head, princess, it was just painful watching you overpay for fruit; you’re like a newborn baby.” The fire bender didn’t believe that excuse at all.</p><p>“It’s okay, you can admit that my charm and beauty are irresistible,” she teased Handong.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, “Yeah, yeah, princess, just be happy I’m here to help you out,” Handong replied. </p><p>“Well you can start by stopping with the whole ‘princess’ thing. As you pointed out, I abandoned that life, and for good reason. My real name is Minji, but you’ll have to call me Jiu if we want to maintain appearances,” Jiu explained. She received an understanding nod from the other woman. </p><p>“Got it. I’m Handong,” she introduced, offering her hand. Something flashed in Jiu’s eyes, slightly too quickly for Handong to confirm; was it recognition? She could not be certain, nor could she dwell on it before Jiu was grabbing her hand to shake. </p><p>“Nice to meet you, despite the unorthodox circumstances,” Jiu said with one of her charming smiles and unlocking the side door leading to the apartment, “Why don’t you come in and we can get to know each other better since I guess I’ll be seeing a lot more of you.” Handong replied with her own charismatic smile, taking a step to follow Jiu inside only to be stopped by a firm hand against her chest. She looked at Jiu, raising one eyebrow in question. “You can come in <em>after</em> you go get me more banana-berries, since you ruined those,” Jiu demanded, gesturing to the berries that were scattered on the ground when she had attempted to fight off her assumed stalker. Handong let out another easy laugh.</p><p>“That’s fair. I’ll be right back then,” Handong agreed, turning to leave, but not before adding, “Hopefully he didn’t raise the price after some fool insisted on paying him more than double.” Her teasing was met by another shove and the speculation that this encounter would lead to a lifelong bond.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 2Yoo Backstory (Part 1- Yoohyeon)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yoohyeon the young air bender feels trapped in her life on Kyoshi island, having never left the premise, as forbidden by her parents. She has a heart-to-heart with her best friend Yubin, a Kyoshi warrior prodigy. In between 2yoo being Soft, the two develop a plan to stand up to her parents, but did not account for a shocking piece of news.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back dear readers! Sorry this chapter took a little longer to get out. It was a challenge for me to figure out how I wanted to break it up. I decided on having 2yoo's backstories intertwined, but they will be broken into two parts so that each character gets to be the main focus. So this time is Yoohyeon with a little Yubin, next will be Yubin with a little Yoohyeon, sound good? As always, thank you for reading and feel free to leave feedback! (Thank you so much to those who already did, it made me cry happy tears lol) Happy reading and stream BOCA.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something about being up in the air made it easier for Yoohyeon to think. The space around her was less crowded, allowing her mind to be less crowded. Soaring around on her glider, Yoohyeon thought about her future, like she always did. She hoped for a future where she could travel freely, flowing from place to place like the wind itself. Being an air bender meant she should feel free, instead she felt trapped. Trapped here on Kyoshi Island. She knows it’s because they are safe here, her parents explained many times that, while powerful, air benders are also a vulnerable population. History has proven that with the near extinction of air benders back in the day. Her parents established a relationship with the Kyoshi warriors many years ago and the warriors welcomed Yoohyeon and her parents to live on the island as esteemed guests. So that is why she finds herself gliding above Kyoshi Island, lost in thought.</p><p>She doesn’t want to seem ungrateful for her life; she realizes how fortunate she is. Living on the picturesque, exclusive island, having parents who love her dearly, her precious bending, her best friend Yubin: she really had nothing to complain about. And she wasn’t complaining, not really. Sometimes she just felt more like a prisoner than an “esteemed guest” on this island. She was about to turn 18, yet she had never so much as set foot off of the island. When she would mention it to her parents, about wanting to travel, they insisted not only that it was unnecessary (“You have everything you could possibly need right here, Yoohyeon”), but also that it was too dangerous for a young air bender. They really made it seem like she would be jumped the second she stepped foot off of the island. She could feel herself growing frustrated, so instead of letting that feeling overtake her, she focused on the feeling of the wind around her as she glided through the sky. At least up here she was free: only the passing breeze and radiant sun could reach her. With a deep inhale, filling her lungs with crisp, innocent air, she began her descent from the sky back down to the ground. </p><p>Upon reaching the ground, her feet moved on their own accord, carrying her to the training grounds, where she found a handful of the Kyoshi warriors hard at work, including her dear friend Yubin. The pair met when they were just 12 years old: Yubin came across one crying Yoohyeon who was desperately looking for her lost flying lemur. Noble as ever, Yubin vowed to help Yoohyeon find her lemur if it was the last thing she did. About 7 hours later, the two girls finally found the missing lemur, who seemed to have eaten so many lychee nuts, that he had to take a long, digestive nap. In exchange for helping Yoohyeon find her lemur, she swore to repay Yubin with a lifetime of friendship. </p><p>Almost 6 years later, and Yoohyeon continued to uphold her promise: the two friends were inseparable. At first glance, they seemed like an unlikely duo, with Yoohyeon being more outgoing and feeling-driven, while Yubin was more reserved and logic-driven. Instead of clashing, though, the two balanced each other out.</p><p>Yubin was too focused on practicing her fluid movements with the fan-blade to notice Yoohyeon approaching. Right as Yubin was about to strike a training dummy, Yooh sent a gust of air to blow her kimono skirt up, causing Yubin to lose her balance. The <em>THUD</em> of Yubin landing on the ground was immediately matched by Yoohyeon's obnoxious giggling. "You're so annoying! I want a refund for the lifetime of friendship," Yubin groaned. Still giggling, Yoohyeon went to offer Yubin a hand up from the ground.</p><p>"Too bad, it's nonrefundable. I guess you're stuck with me," she teased, right before Yubin grabbed her outstretched hand and yanked. She went crashing to the ground in a heap. Now it was Yubin's turn to laugh.</p><p>"Okay, now we're even," she concluded. Yoohyeon, not one to hold a grudge, joined in Yubin's laughter as the two of them got to their feet.</p><p>"Sorry to interrupt your training, I couldn't resist," Yoohyeon apologized without regret.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Yubin replied, "I was finishing up anyway. Did you want to hang out?"</p><p>"Sure, let's go for a walk; we can probably catch the sunset soon," Yoohyeon decided and Yubin agreed easily. Living on the island for their entire lives, the girls had surely covered every inch of the island with their footprints. Their feet moved without any thoughts needed to guide them. They talked about nothing, filling the conversation lulls with comforting silence. Before they knew it, they were overlooking the sea from atop their favorite cliff. The sight of far off land on the horizon made Yoohyeon's heart clench. "Do you ever wonder what's out there?" she questioned.</p><p>"I know what's out there; that's what maps are for, Yooh," Yubin retorted, earning her a swat from the air bender.</p><p>"No, I mean aren't you curious to see it for yourself? We've never left this island before, what if we're missing out on great things?" she elaborated.</p><p>Yubin shrugged, before replying, "I'm content with my life here; I don't really need anything else." Yoohyeon was not really surprised by her answer, she was the one with the grandiose dreams of adventure: Yubin was the realistic one, focusing on the here-and-now. Despite this, Yoohyeon could not help but feel a little frustrated with the warrior, letting out a huff. Detecting her friend's disappointment, Yubin was quick to add, "But I understand how you could feel that way."</p><p>"I feel trapped. Like the whole world is moving on while I'm stuck here. And I get that it's dangerous for air benders given our history, yet is it really to the point where I need to hide for the rest of my life? I can't live this way forever," Yoohyeon explained in earnest. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder and turned to look at Yubin, who offered her a sympathetic smile.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Yooh. I know it's difficult for you. Your parents love you and I'm sure they only have your safety in mind," she tried to reason.</p><p>"I know they mean well, I do, but it's hurting me to live like this. I don't want to waste away here; I need something more extraordinary," the air bender said woefully. It was difficult for Yubin to see her friend suffering; she wished she could take it away.</p><p>"Have you talked to your parents about this? Surely if they knew how much you were hurting, they would change," she tried. Yoohyeon thought about that for a moment. She knew Yubin was right; her parents would never intentionally hurt her.</p><p>"Well, I haven't really told them outright," she explained.</p><p>"Then how do you expect them to know, dummy?" Yubin teased, getting a glare from her now pouting friend. She couldn't help but soften a little at that. The air bender always looked like a bunny-dog when she pouted and <em>maybe</em> Yubin had a weakness for that look. "Look, I know it's not easy, but like you said, you can't keep living like this. I think you need to be honest with them. Tell them it's time for you to get off the island, even if it's for a temporary trip," she reasoned, "I can go with you to speak to them, if you need the support." Yoohyeon was looking at her with adoration: the same adoration reflected in Yubin's own eyes.</p><p>"Thank you, I would really appreciate that," Yoohyeon said sincerely, "Plus they love you, so even if they say no to me, maybe they'll say yes to you." The warrior chuckled at that.</p><p>"And if they say no to both of us, we'll tie them up and make a run for it," she added seriously. The two couldn't maintain their straight faces for long before bursting into giggles. "Let's head back so we can talk to your parents while we still have the courage," Yubin said. Yoohyeon nodded in agreement, linking their arms together as they began to walk home.</p><p>"What would I do without you?" she wondered aloud. Yubin simply shrugged.</p><p>"Perish, probably," the warrior deadpanned.</p><p>"You're not wrong," the air bender agreed. Soon the two fell into a comfortable silence, steeling themselves for thee conversation to come as their feet carried them surely home. </p><p>By the time they reached the village, darkness had settled over the island, leaving hanging lanterns with the responsibility of illuminating the sleepy site. The two friends picked their way to Yoohyeon’s home and let themselves inside. “Mom, Dad, I’m home!” Yoohyeon called from the entryway. </p><p>“We’re in the living room, sweetie!” came the distant shout of her mother. The girls wandered into the living room, where her parents were relaxing and listening to the radio. Her mother looked up, smiling as they entered the room. “Oh, hi Yubin, I didn’t know you were coming; I would have cooked an extra portion. I can heat up some leftovers. It won’t take long,” she offered, rising to her feet, but Yoohyeon raised her hand to stop her.</p><p>“No!” she said a little harsher than she had intended, “Um, I mean, no thanks, we’re not hungry,” she quickly amended, much to Yubin’s dismay (her stomach had been grumbling since she had been practicing earlier that day). Her mother gave her a weird look, clearly surprised by her daughter’s uncharacteristic tone and lack of appetite. “Actually, I need to talk to you,” Yoohyeon continued, “Both of you,” she added, indicating her father, who now looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. Her mother sat back down and both parents looked at Yoohyeon, expectantly. With a deep breath and a silent prayer to the spirit world, she began: “I want to leave the island.”</p><p>Immediately, her father interjected, “We talked about this, dear, it’s not safe.” Yoohyeon felt a flare of frustration rise in her. </p><p>“How is it that unsafe that I can’t even <em>step</em> off the island? Is there some secret war I don’t know about?” Yoohyeon asked sarcastically. Her parents exchanged a quick look, one only Yubin noticed, though she couldn’t identify the meaning behind it.</p><p>“No, of course not. It’s just, as air benders--” Yoohyeon’s mother tried to continue, but her daughter would not let her. </p><p>“I <em>know!</em> ‘We’re air benders; we’re vulnerable; blah, blah, blah,” Yoohyeon mocked. </p><p>“Don’t speak to your mother that way,” her father snapped, which only agitated her further.</p><p>“It’s not my fault you two are cowards,” Yoohyeon bit, “I’m tired of you forcing your fears on me. In a few days, I’ll be 18 and once I am, I’m leaving.” </p><p>“Yoohyeon, you have to trust that we know what is best for you,” her father announced, “there are things you don’t understand.” His reply did not placate her as he intended. Instead, Yoohyeon finally reached her boiling point.</p><p>“Then HELP me understand! How do you expect me to just trust you blindly when you give vague, bullshit excus--” she began, but never finished.</p><p>“YOU’RE THE AVATAR,” her mother’s voice rang out, silencing everyone in the room, except for the quiet <em>Holy Shit</em> breathed out by Yubin.</p><p>“I’m the what…?” Yoohyeon asked in the smallest, trembling voice. </p><p>“Honey, I’m sorry we hid this from you. We did not want to burden you with the knowledge, nor put you in danger. At least, not until you grew older. I guess now is as good of a time as any,” her mother tried to explain. </p><p>“So you see, it is not because you are an air bender that makes you vulnerable, it is because you are the Avatar,” her father added, “If anyone found out, there is no telling whether they would become a friend or foe.”</p><p>“We were trying to protect you,” her mother rectified, or so she thought. Too many thoughts and feelings swirled in Yoohyeon’s turbulent mind: shock, betrayal, fear, all under a blanket of numbness. Everyone in the room noticed her frozen expression and the rigidity in her body. “Say something, dear,” her mother pleaded, reaching out to touch her arm. The young air bender, no, <em>Avatar,</em> recoiled away from her mother’s touch. </p><p>“I...need to go,” Yoohyeon all but whispered, then fled from her home into the darkness of the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 2Yoo Backstory (Part 2- Yubin Focus)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After finding out that her best friend was the Avatar, Yubin's life shifted. She refocused on her role as a Kyoshi warrior, training more diligently than ever. Her efforts seemed to pay off, as she was assigned to an important role. With new power comes new responsibilities: how will her dynamic with Yoohyeon be affected?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>2 updates in 2 days! I can't update much faster than this, huh? I hope you guys enjoy this one. It more soft 2yoo as well as setting some pieces into motion. There is a flashback scene early in the chapter, so keep that in mind in case you get confused about the passage of time. I also tried my hand at writing a combat scene this time, so hopefully it reads well. If it doesn't, please lead feedback on which parts were confusing. Or leave any feedback at all, it makes my day. I have a lot of plans for this story, so please continue with me and look forward to next chapter. Thank you &amp; stream BOCA.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her fan-blade was the perfect counter weapon to air bending: each blast of air was diverted with a slice of her fan. Although, that didn’t mean sparring with Yoohyeon was easy. By the time Yubin had finished fully extending her arm through the slicing motion that broke up one gust of air, there was already another shooting towards an unguarded area of her body. If Yubin did not have generations of Kyoshi warrior blood rushing through her veins, perhaps Yoohyeon could defeat her. However, as she dodged another air assault with an impressive kick-flip, it showed that her ancestry was coming into play. When Yubin picked a katana over the straw dolls that the other children were playing with, the elder Kyoshi warriors knew she would be a prodigy. It was obvious to everyone that she was the most powerful warrior on the island, seeing as she was holding her own against a masterful air bender, who also happened to be her best friend and the Avatar.</p>
<p>She will never forget the night that Yoohyeon found out she was the Avatar. It was actually almost 3 years ago to this day. The two of them had gone to Yoohyeon’s house to speak with her parents. However, when the conversation started heading south, her mother decided to drop the truth bomb that would change their lives forever. As vivid as it was that night, Yubin can still recall the expression of utter shock, borderline terror, on her friend’s face. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>When she ran off into the night, Yubin followed her diligently. Even without light to guide her way, Yubin was able to find her friend: she knew exactly where she would go. There was this one cave perched high on a mountain. Sure enough, when Yubin tentatively entered the grotto, there was her best friend, sitting cross-legged beside the luminescent pool. If ever there was a perfect union of nature, it was this cave. Inside, there was a glowing pool of water that almost had a spiritual energy to it. Hanging from the ceiling were stalactites, each one catching the light from the pool and reflecting it all around the interior. And in the very center of the cave roof was a hole, which perfectly lined up with the position of the sun and moon at certain times during the day: now was one of those times. The moon was shining into the cave, casting a soft glow over everything. "I guess it makes sense, now, why you always liked this cave so much," Yubin spoke. Her friend kept her eyes fixed on the water without looking up. She clearly wasn't surprised by Yubin's presence; she knew her friend would be there for her. She always was. "All of the elements are here: the water of the pool, the earth of the walls themselves, the chilled air, and during the day, the blazing sun even makes an appearance. Of course the Avatar would be drawn to a place like this," Yubin reasoned. The other girl only hummed in response, which the warrior took as a cue to join her on the cave floor. "Talk to me, Yooh, before you drown in your own thoughts," Yubin requested gently.</p>
<p>"I don't know," Yoohyeon said plainly. There was a silence, then, as Yubin waited for her to elaborate. She didn't.</p>
<p>"What don't you know?" Yubin prompted.</p>
<p>"Anything, apparently," Yoohyeon said with a harsh laugh, causing Yubin to frown. "How could I not know I'm the fucking Avatar? I'm so stupid."</p>
<p>"Hey, don't say that about yourself. It's not your fault you didn't know; they hid it from you. Not being privy to that knowledge doesn't make you stupid. You were just deceived," Yubin explained. She paused, thinking of her next words. "Well, perhaps you weren't necessarily deceived, since it's not like you asked if you were the Avatar and they denied it"</p>
<p>"Well gee, that's not a question I ever thought I would have to ask, but silly me," Yoohyeon said dryly.</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's a fair point," Yubin agreed. More silence. "Look, I don't think your parents handled this in the best way. It wasn't fair to keep it from you, especially when you kept asking to travel and they wouldn't explain why it was so dangerous for you. Nevertheless, I do believe they only had the best intentions and honestly I don't know if I would have handled it any better if I were in their position." Yoohyeon considered her friend's words.</p>
<p>"How did we get here, Yubin?" she asked</p>
<p>"Well, I don't know about you, but I walked from your house," the warrior explained, resulting in the highly anticipated groan from the other girl.</p>
<p>"No, idiot, how did we get <em>here,</em> with me as the goddamn Avatar and you--"</p>
<p>"--as the better looking, smarter, funnier, more talented companion?" Yubin finished for her.</p>
<p>"Sure, let's go with that," the bender agreed.</p>
<p>Putting the joking aside, Yubin gave an honest answer: "Yooh, we're exactly where we have always been. We're still the same people, you just have a few more abilities, as a treat. But that doesn't change who you are or who you have always been."</p>
<p>"When did you become such a wise, old hag?" Yoohyeon joked for the first time that night. Yubin couldn't help but grin. Her friend may be struggling, but at least she could still joke.</p>
<p>"Some people have brains; others have beauty. I have both," Yubin boasted, "And I look pretty damn good for an old hag." Yoohyeon smiled a little at that.</p>
<p>"So what do we do now?" Yoohyeon questioned, hoping Yubin would have all the answers, like she always did.</p>
<p>"Honestly, I don't know. What do you <em>want</em> to do?" Yubin countered.</p>
<p>"I <em>wanted</em> to get off this island, but now I'm the Avatar," Yoohyeon sadly said.</p>
<p>"Well, that's life, whatever happens, the world goes on," (Lee Yubin, 2020). "You still have autonomy over your choices, Yooh. If you want to leave, the only one who can stop you is yourself." Yoohyeon fell into a pensive silence at the warrior's words. Eventually, she spoke again.</p>
<p>"I think, knowing what I do now, I should stay here," she said, much to Yubin's surprise.</p>
<p>"Why do you think that?" Yubin asked.</p>
<p>"As the Avatar, I'm supposed to master all four elements, right? Before I go and pursue the other elements, I should first master the one I know. I'm a pretty good air bender, but I wouldn't call myself a master. It would be in my best interest to stay here, where it's safe, and train until I'm the best air bender I can be," she answered maturely.</p>
<p>"Wow, now who's the wise, old hag?" Yubin teased.</p>
<p>"Ew, it must be contagious," the Avatar replied, gagging dramatically.</p>
<p>"You should have looked at the fine print before vowing your lifetime of friendship then," came Yubin's quick reply and the two laughed together.</p>
<p>Once the laughter died down, Yoohyeon looked over at Yubin. "Everything is going to be okay, right?" she asked timidly.</p>
<p>"Of course. I won't let anything happen to you, Yoohyeon," Yubin reassured. The newly discovered Avatar didn't think she would feel peaceful so quickly after the night's events, yet here she was, with a serene smile on her face. Yubin always had that effect on her.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Yubin. I love you," Yoohyeon announced. Yubin blushed ever-so-slightly at the sudden expression. She was more accustomed to their dynamic of unspoken affection towards each other.</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah. I love you, too, I guess," Yubin replied with a wave of her hand, trying to brush off any sense of vulnerability. She couldn't hide it from Yoohyeon, though, she knew the other girl too well. Instead of embarrassing her, the Avatar simply laid her head on the warrior's shoulder thankfully, and the two slipped back into comfortable silence.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Back in the present moment, Yubin crouched into a deep lunge to avoid another of the Avatar's air attacks while maintaining her balance. She extended her arm in the same moment to hit her opponent in the shin. Except, she only hit air as the bender surged up into a backwards somersault, away from Yubin's reach. The warrior took advantage of the slim window in which Yoohyeon had her back to her, throwing her fan-blade like a boomerang at her target. If she were sparring with anyone else, her attack would have been the finishing blow. But of course, she had to spar against an air bending master, who had somehow managed to spin AND catch the fan-blade all before hitting the ground. She would never admit it, but Yoohyeon liked to show off when she sparred against Yubin. Yubin wouldn't admit it either, but she was always impressed.</p>
<p>Breathing heavily from exerting so much effort, the non-bender was the first to suggest a truce. Yoohyeon, despite barely breaking a sweat, agreed. As the duo gathered their belongings and began to leave the training grounds, Yoohyeon noticed the other Kyoshi warriors watching them, whispering amongst themselves. Yooh nudged her friend. “I think they’re jealous of you being named captain of all the warriors, and at such a young age, no less. Not even 21 and you're their leader. They must be pressed,” she concluded. The said warrior captain merely scoffed. </p>
<p>“Oh please, if anything they are envious that I get to train with the Avatar,” Yubin countered. Since the time that the friends had found out about Yoohyeon’s true identity until now, word had spread around the island. Fortunately, all of the warriors were “sworn to secrecy” (threatened with execution at the hands of Yubin herself), so Yoohyeon was not worried about it. </p>
<p>“More like the fact that you can actually <em>keep up</em> with the Avatar,” Yoohyeon corrected. Yubin simply rolled her eyes, letting Yoohyeon believe that she could actually keep up with her during sparring, instead of admitting to the reality that she actually struggled every time. But Yoohyeon didn’t need to know that. </p>
<p>“Well, all that ‘keeping up with the Avatar’ has made me hungry,” Yubin pouted. </p>
<p>“Let’s go to my house; my mom always has lunch ready around this time,” Yooh decided and the two girls began heading in the direction of her home. </p>
<p>Soon enough, they were crossing through the Kim threshold, with Yoohyeon loudly announcing their arrival. </p>
<p>“We’re in the living room, sweetie!” came the familiar shout of her mother. The last time Yooh’s mother said that, the night ended up changing their lives forever. Yubin hoped they were not in for a repeat of events. However, when they stepped into the living room to see Mr. and Mrs. Kim drinking tea with the council of Kyoshi warrior elders, Yubin’s hopes for an uneventful evening were instantly dashed. She bowed respectfully to the older warriors who nodded to her in return. Yoohyeon was the first to speak.</p>
<p>“Uh, what brings you all here?” she asked, getting right to the point. </p>
<p>“Good afternoon to you, too, young Avatar,” the head of the council said, almost playfully. Yoohyeon blushed in embarrassment. “We have observed your air-bending over the years and your progress is remarkable. It is of the opinion of myself, as well as your parents, that you can now indeed be considered a master air bender.” Once again, Yoohyeon blushed in embarrassment, this time at the deep praise. “And as you know, your birthday is only a few days away,” the warrior continued, “Your parents and the council believe it is time that you pursue training in the other elements as soon as you turn twenty-one.” Yoohyeon’s eyes widened in shock.</p>
<p>“But that’s only 3 days from now!” she gasped. Beside her, Yubin was equally shocked, despite her stoic expression. “I’m just supposed to pack up everything and go off on my own?” It was clear that the bender entered full-panic mode, so Yubin instinctively reached out to intertwine their fingers together. </p>
<p>“Of course not. Yubin will be accompanying you,” the head of the council stated. </p>
<p>“She will?” Yooh questioned.</p>
<p>“I will?” Yubin echoed. The council now turned to address Yubin directly.</p>
<p>“Yubin, while we appreciate the fine work you have done in your position as captain, we have decided that you are to serve a higher purpose. As the most capable Kyoshi warrior by far, it is now your life’s duty to protect the Avatar. You will accompany her on her journey and keep her safe from harm, by any means necessary,” the council member detailed. Before Yubin could process anything, she felt arms fly around her, wrapping her in a spine-destroying hug. </p>
<p>“I get to go on an adventure with my best friend!” Yoohyeon squealed directly into Yubin’s ear. </p>
<p>“Yoohyeon, this is serious,” her father scolded. She quickly released Yubin from her death-grip, apologizing.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I meant I get to go on a very serious, very educational adventure with my best friend,” she corrected. The next person to speak was her mother.</p>
<p>“Yooh, you have to be extremely careful. There are many people who would want to hurt you if they discovered that you were the Avatar. For your own safety, do not tell anyone until you are absolutely certain that you can trust them, okay?” she elaborated. Both girls nodded in understanding. </p>
<p>The rest of the evening involved the detailed plan for their trip. There was a safehouse waiting for them in the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. The city was chosen because it was lively enough for them to network, while blending in, but it was also not big enough to draw important, potential enemies. Aside from that, the trip was only a few days by boat, and one additional day by train. Yoohyeon’s parents and the Kyoshi council had allocated funds into a bank account for the girls to use. They would be able to live modestly without having to work, so that Yoohyeon could focus solely on mastering the elements. </p>
<p>“Can you believe it? We are finally leaving the island after all this time,” Yoohyeon exclaimed excitedly as the best friends packed their belongings later that evening. </p>
<p>“It’s pretty surreal,” Yubin stated, “I definitely wasn’t expecting that news when I agreed to come over for lunch.” The two chuckled at that.</p>
<p>“Hey, at least they didn’t tell you that you were the Avatar this time,” Yoohyeon joked, recalling the last time she and Yubin were in the living room with her parents. </p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure the world can only handle one avatar at a time; I know I can,” Yubin teased back. The lighthearted banter felt good, as if they had nothing to worry about for once. </p>
<p>“Hey,” Yoohyeon said, suddenly serious. The warrior looked at her quizzically. “I’m sorry you were kind of forced into this. I know I’m excited, but I understand if you feel like this is a burden or something. I’ll try not to be too troublesome.”</p>
<p>“Are you serious? You’re the most important person to me, Yooh. I may have been officially assigned to be your bodyguard starting today, but this has always been my role, and it always will be. I would go with you to keep you safe whether they told me to or not,” Yubin said matter-of-factly. She did not intend for it to sound sentimental, it was merely the truth. Of course, Yoohyeon being the baby, bunny-dog that she was, started to tear up. </p>
<p>“What would I do without you?” she cried while trapping Yubin in the second deadly hug that day. </p>
<p>“Perish, probably,” Yubin choked out with the little air in her lungs that had not been pushed out by the hug, “And you would never finish packing, either. Now, let go, you big baby.” </p>
<p>“One more minute,” the Avatar insisted tearily, refusing to relinquish her. </p>
<p>“Fine,” the warrior grumbled, “But I’m not letting you borrow my socks when you realize you didn’t pack any.” Finally, the bender pulled away from the hug and proceeded to pack. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Three days later, Yoohyeon blew out the candles on her 21st birthday cake, exchanged heart-felt goodbyes with her parents, and finally set out for Omashu, in search of bending masters and other pleasant surprises that her new world had to offer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Lee Sis Backstory (Siyeon Focus)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>From the moment she discovered her water bending, Lee Siyeon became a force to be reckoned with. Growing up, she struggled to find the balance between improving her power and keeping it under control. With such a delicate balance, there is bound to be a tipping point.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>PLEASE READ:</p><p>Hi readers~ Welcome back! Sorry this update took a bit longer; I've been busier these days and this chapter was tricky to write. Please be aware that this chapter is very intense! Keep in mind that this story is rated M, so this chapter includes depictions of violence/torture towards the end. Other than that, there are some cute Lee Sis interactions and character development. So, please read with caution and enjoy!!</p><p>tl;dr tw // violence and torture</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Though she lacked competition, Lee Siyeon was far and beyond the strongest water bender in Akara village. Her bending reveal was too nerve-wracking for her parents' comfort. The toddler had been waddling along the frozen river bank when she spotted a baby otter penguin out on the ice. Little Siyeon believed that she needed to pet the animal, and nothing would stop her. When she took a naïve step onto the frozen surface of the river, however, there was a harsh <em>CRACK</em> as the ice split open and Siyeon dropped below the surface. Her parents screamed in horror as they watched their young daughter disappear into the river, immediately dashing to save her. Although, their efforts were in vain, since baby Siyeon had resurfaced, surrounded in a protective bubble of water, apparently of her own making. Rest assured, nothing prevented Siyeon from petting the otter penguin that day.</p><p>After that incident, water bending became as natural for her as waking up in the morning and falling asleep at night. By age ten, she was already out-bending alleged, master benders who were 40-years her senior. Her reputation had spread to the other surrounding villages, even reaching the capital city of the Southern Water Tribe. It was a rather absurd sight to see adult benders travel to duel the locally famous Siyeon, only to discover that she's a goth, preteen. It was even more absurd when she easily obliterated them in combat.</p><p>For as powerful as she was, it would be justified for Siyeon's ego to be uncontrollable. Yet, the young water bender remained humble, which was something her younger sister, Gahyeon, always found ridiculous. Their family consisted of the parents and their two daughters; Siyeon was the only bender out of the four. On one hand, her parents were overjoyed, having not only a bender in the family, but an extremely talented one. On the other hand, however, Siyeon’s younger sister felt not exactly bitter about her sister’s bending abilities, but definitely a bit envious. She was certainly proud of her, utilizing every opportunity to boast and name drop her sibling, yet there always seemed to be some underlying jealousy. </p><p>At least, when they were younger that was the case. Now that they were older, Gahyeon had come to terms with her lack of bending and focused on improving the skills she did have, rather than mourning the one she never will. With the envy out of the way, the sisters became much closer. It was a relief for Siyeon in particular, because what her sister never knew is that she harbored intense guilt regarding her bending. As her older sister, Siyeon could always tell how wistful Gahyeon became whenever she saw her sister bending, no matter how well she believed she hid it behind a mask of excitement and support. Because of this, Siyeon grew more self-conscious of her bending, beginning to limit her use of bending when others were around, never wanting to seem as if she were rubbing her abilities in their faces. She never asked for her bending, it was just bestowed upon her, and so was the burden that came with it. Her connection to water was deep, threaded into her being, though she often wondered what her life would have been like without it. Even having such a thought made her feel guilty; her family always reminded her how lucky she was to have bending. There were times when she agreed with them, when she truly felt lucky. She felt lucky when she healed her father’s broken arm after his fishing accident. She felt lucky when she constructed the most elaborate ice castle for her and Gahyeon to play in as children. She even felt lucky when teaching older, braggadocious benders how to be more humble after she bested them in a duel. </p><p>Other times, her water bending made her feel unlucky. Like when she would practice the most simple push-and-pull techniques only to notice her sister watching her dejectedly. It was difficult to appreciate her power when she knew it hurt Gahyeon, when she was the reason her own sister felt cheated in life. She did not feel lucky when her mother would flaunt Siyeon around like a race-winning otter penguin, especially when she never commended Gahyeon’s achievements, like her unparalleled acrobatics, in the same way. However, she had never felt as unlucky to have her power as she did that fateful day.</p><p>*****</p><p>She and Gahyeon had finished their studies for the day and were now messing around before Siyeon’s bending lesson. Even though they had a three-year age gap, the sisters were inseparable, best friends. Not that there were many options for other friends around their age, Gahyeon being 17 and Siyeon being 20, in their scarcely populated village, but they were best friends nevertheless. These days, Gahyeon became increasingly interested in acrobatics, especially when mixed with martial arts. So, the two developed a game of sorts, where Siyeon would rapidly manifest structures of ice, just barely large enough to support a foot or hand, while Gahyeon would move from structure to structure before the bender unfroze them back into water. In the beginning, Siyeon was generous with the ice platforms: making them large enough, spacing them closely together, and allowing plenty of time before unfreezing them. None of this was necessary, of course, since Gahyeon was remarkably agile, practically putting air benders to shame with how quickly and accurately she could spring from place to place. But Siyeon, the worried older sister as usual, never wanting to cause her sister pain, so <em>maybe</em> she babied her. “Siyeon! This is boring; I need to be challenged if I want to improve. So move your ass, gran-gran, and start bending as fast as I know you can,” Gahyeon demanded. </p><p>Only a few weeks after they started, Siyeon was bending to her full-potential and Gahyeon met the challenge with equal skill and grace, which brought them to today. The water bender was shooting various discs of ice all over. Some barely large enough to land a toe on while they were stationary, let alone hurtling through the air. Somehow Gahyeon would hit each target with immaculate aim, pushing off nimbly toward the next target. It was quite the spectacle, particularly now when Gahyeon was flipping and leaping between the rapidly shifting shards of ice, 3 meters above the ground. The way the younger girl moved from location to location was so smooth, so fluid, that Siyeon was reminded of water itself. She smiled at the thought: her sister was a water bender, in her own way. The smile soon grew into a mischievous smirk because while Siyeon was typically a stickler for the rules, her sister brought out her playful side. Instead of throwing another disc of solid ice, she lobbed a blob of water. When Gahyeon’s hand touched what should have been ice, it slipped right through the now liquid surface. Siyeon expected her sister to fall face first into the snow, but Gahyeon would never be caught slipping. As soon as she detected that the surface was not solid, she anticipated the lack of support, bringing her arms up to her chest with enough momentum to flip her body forward once, twice, three times, until her feet stuck to the snow in a perfect landing. </p><p>“Only you could turn what should have been an embarrassing face-plant into an impressive, triple flip,” Siyeon complained. Gahyeon took an exaggerated bow, before waving to her imaginary fans. </p><p>“Just admit that I’m spectacular and leave,” she stated in jest. </p><p>“Fine, I will. But only because I have a bending lesson,” Siyeon replied, gathering her bag from the ground and handing Gahyeon hers as well.</p><p>“Oh yeah, aren’t you going to some new trainer today?” Gahyeon asked, recalling what her sister had mentioned before. </p><p>“Yeah, I got a letter from some woman in a nearby village saying she had a powerful technique to teach me, but we could only do it during the full moon for some reason,” Siyeon explained.</p><p>“Wow! That sounds so neat, I wonder what she’s going to teach you. I thought you already knew everything,” her younger sister said with interest. </p><p>“There is always more to learn, Gahyeon,” Siyeon scolded.</p><p>“Yeah, but you’re like, the best water bender alive! I didn’t think there was anyone left who could teach you,” Gahyeon said, causing her sister to blush at the praise.</p><p>“I’m hardly the best…” Siyeon replied bashfully. Gahyeon only rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Please, if I were you, I’d be bending all the time, just to flex how great I am,” she enthused. Despite her outward enthusiasm, Siyeon could imagine the underlying sadness of her sister’s words, the reminder that the younger girl lacked bending. The immediate guilt Siyeon felt caused her to remain quiet, trapped in her own head. Luckily, the energetic nonbender filled the silence with lively chatter about nothing specific, until the girls finally reached their home. “Well, I’ll see you after your lesson; good luck!” Gahyeon wished cheerfully. With a mutual farewell, Siyeon continued on her way to meet the mysterious bender from the letter at their predetermined meeting spot. </p><p>*****</p><p>When Siyeon arrived in the secluded, coniferous woods, she did not know what to expect. All of her previous bending lessons took place near bodies of water; how could they water bend in the middle of the forest? “You must be Siyeon,” came a sudden voice, startling the young bender from her thoughts. The owner of the voice was an old woman, who seemed to materialize out of the shadows.</p><p>“Y-yes,” Siyeon replied timidly. The old woman was close enough now that Siyeon could see her smile, which she assumed was intended to comfort her, but only served to make her uneasy.</p><p>“Don’t be scared, child, I’m only here to teach you,” the elder assured her. Siyeon said nothing, simply because she had nothing to say, so the old woman continued. “You see, water benders are most powerful during the full moon, did you know that?” Siyeon shook her head, indicating that she did not. “It has to do with the greater pull on the tide, but that’s not important. What is significant is that we water benders gain access to power which is typically hidden from us. In fact, most water benders do not even realize that we have it.” At this point, Siyeon was a bit intrigued, but mostly confused. The woman spoke so vaguely and was only illuminated by the full moon’s light, which made her seem intimidating for someone who appeared so frail and old. “Water bending is typically associated with life-giving, is it not?” the woman asked suddenly. It felt like a trick question, though Siyeon answered anyway.</p><p>“Yes, it has great healing properties,” she responded. The elder nodded.</p><p>“That’s right. It is known to have the ability to restore life,” she agreed, “But did you know that it also has the ability to manipulate it?” Siyeon felt a coldness wash over her at the woman’s words. She did not understand what she meant, yet she couldn’t find the voice to ask. “Take this tree, for example,” the older bender began, “It is healthy, strong, full of life. You can feel it, if you focus on the water flowing inside of it. Try.” Cautiously, Siyeon did as she was told, extending her hand towards the tree and concentrated on its hidden life. She was able to feel the gentle pulse of water as it flowed in the tree’s veins. </p><p>“I feel it,” Siyeon confirmed.</p><p>“Good, now focus on that feeling,” her teacher instructed. Siyeon closed her eyes and did just that, letting the calming flow of energy comfort her. Then, all too quickly, that feeling shifted. What was once peaceful energy was replaced by a frantic, draining feeling, as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She gasped as she felt the tree’s pain, her eyes opening to reveal the unsavory scene. The once sturdy tree was withering before her: trunk collapsing in on itself, needles shriveling, branches falling limp. It only took a few moments before the tree was a decrepit husk of what it once was. Only then did she realize that the old woman was now surrounded by floating wisps of water, filled with the same energy that the tree once had. “When you are that in-tune with the water that energizes a living creature, like this tree, you can pull it right out,” the other bender explained matter-of-factly. While Siyeon understood the concept, she did not agree with it. What gave that old woman, or herself, or anyone else, the authority to steal life from another living thing, even a tree? “This is a skill you can always use, even when there isn’t a full moon,” the woman continued, unaware of Siyeon’s disgust, “The moon gives you the power to manipulate the energy in more...complex creatures.” The old woman did not elaborate with words, instead using actions. </p><p>Siyeon felt her knees immediately buckle on their own accord, bringing her to the ground, as her arms twisted uncomfortably behind her back and her neck bent upwards. None of these movements were her own doing. She felt a searing, cold energy overwhelm her, grasping at her own blood, willing it to move her body without her input. The other bender was standing above her now, wearing a sickly-sweet smile. “With the power of the moon, I have developed what I have named blood bending. Once you latch on to a person’s energy, the water living in their blood, you can bend it,” she emphasized that point by forcing Siyeon’s back into an exaggerated arch, “to your will.” Siyeon felt physically ill, and not front the unnatural way her body had been forced to bend. </p><p>“You’re sick,” Siyeon spat before her mouth was forcibly closed by the blood bender.  </p><p>“Now, don’t be disrespectful. After all, I took the time to show you this powerful technique. The least you could do is be grateful,” the old woman scolded. Anger flared in the typically calm Siyeon. <em>Grateful?</em> This monster showed her how to turn innocent people into puppets and she expected Siyeon to be <em>grateful?</em> “I can feel the energy surging in you,” the blood bender commented, “If you harnessed that, you could be powerful like me.” Being compared to the blood bender only made Siyeon angrier; she was nothing like that villain. “All you have to do is focus on my energy. I bet you already feel it, don’t you, dear?” Siyeon closed her eyes, trying to control her growing rage and think rationally about how to get out of this situation. At the peripheral of her mind, she felt an energy. It was similar to the one of the tree from earlier, although this energy was more potent, it felt  like it was burning, in a way. When she heard the old woman chuckle, she quickly realized whose energy it was. “There you go, I feel your presence,” she said, bending the younger woman’s blood to twist Siyeon’s arms up higher behind her back until they stung from the pain. “I can feel your anger, your pain. Only you can make it stop.” Siyeon was struggling against herself, trying to maintain control. Yet, it’s difficult to maintain control when someone else is controlling your own body. She felt helpless, feeding into the rage, fear, and pain chanting in her mind, encouraging her to latch on to the external energy, until finally, she did. “Yes!” was all the old woman could chant before Siyeon took control. </p><p>Once she embraced the water coursing in the woman’s blood, it was sickeningly easy for Siyeon to bend her. With a flick of her wrist, the old woman’s body not only crumpled into an unnaturally shaped form, but it also went flying through the air before colliding with a tree. The gruesome crunch of bone against bark was enough to bring Siyeon out of her trance and engrave permanently into her mind. She had always been wary of her own power, however, this was the first time she was utterly appalled and frightened by it. Doused in self-loathing, Siyeon could only flee the woods, chased by the haunting replay of bone hitting bark.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Lee Sis Backstory (Gahyeon Focus)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gahyeon resorts to tough love in order to keep her relationship with her sister alive. As they overcome the tension, Gahyeon encourages her older sister to heal through, well, healing. Observing the bending used to heal others, she becomes curious about the flow of energy in one's body, eventually developing a theory. What will happen when she tests said theory?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back! It's time for Gahyeon's role in the Lee Sis backstory. This chapter is definitely not as dark as the previous one. There is some initial tension, though it eventually leads to more bad-assery and lightheartedness at the end of the chapter. I also included hair colors in this chapter (shout out to the comment asking about that last chapter; I often forget to describe my characters physically lol). As always, please enjoy and lead feedback. Look forward to next chapter, which will be the final back story before our characters begin crossing paths.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was another day of monotony for Gahyeon. As someone who struggled to sit still, being stationary for hours while her mother homeschooled her and Siyeon was akin to torture. Her older sister, on the other hand, could remain still for hours, sometimes causing Gahyeon to forget that she was living at all. Although lately she really did question if her sister was living. Ever since Siyeon returned from that bending lesson months ago, something was off with her. Gahyeon had immediately asked her sister what was wrong, thought the bender shut her, and everyone else, for that matter, out. For weeks, she had hardly left her room, only coming out to eat at odd hours, clearly trying to avoid interactions with others. She had always been the quiet type, but she had never been quite this reclusive. It was painful for Gahyeon, having to watch her sister deteriorate and suffer in silence. What hurt more was the fact that their relationship seemed to be strained again: just as they had seemed to be at their closest, now Siyeon was pulling away.</p>
<p>Gahyeon was not the type to give up so easily, though. For months, she gave her sister space, only to watch her decompose with no sign of improvement; it was time for her to step in. As the girls packed away their school belongings, the younger sister approached the older one. “Siyeon, let’s hang out; we can play our game. It has been awhile since we last did,” Gahyeon stated rather than asked. </p>
<p>“I’m not in the mood, Gahyeon,” she grumbled, moving to leave. The younger girl would not accept that, grabbing her wrist, gently, but firmly. </p>
<p>“That’s okay, we don’t have to do that. We can just spar or something,” she suggested, trying to remain positive. Her positivity was lost on Siyeon, though, who yanked her arm away from her grasp.</p>
<p>“No; just leave me alone,” she told the younger girl coldly. Of course, Gahyeon did the opposite, leaping in front of the doorway to barricade it with her body.</p>
<p>“NO. I left you alone for <em>months,</em> but that ends now. Look, I’m not stupid; I know something happened that night when you went for a bending lesson. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, although, I’m here if you do. But you can’t wallow and rot for the rest of your days,” Gahyeon began, letting her frustration choose her words, “And you can’t just stop bending! Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be able to bend? I <em>wish</em> I had ability that and you’re wasting it!” The younger girl had been trying to keep that thought to herself for a long time now, and she had been doing well, until this moment. At the core of her words, it was how she felt, yet she immediately knew she had made a mistake expressing herself like this. Siyeon’s gaze was so piercingly cold that Gahyeon believed the bender had actually struck her with ice. </p>
<p>“You do NOT get to tell me what to do with MY bending, especially when you have no idea what I have experienced because of it. Do you think I asked for this? Trust me, if I could give you my bending I would. Seems like it would solve both our problems. Now, move,” Siyeon snapped. Harshness was uncommon for the water bender, and it was never directed toward her sister. Being on the receiving end for the first time made Gahyeon feel, well, like shit. Despite the blow to her ego, her stubbornness and deep-rooted care for her sister prevented her from moving. </p>
<p>“No,” she said quietly. </p>
<p>“No?” the bender asked in disbelief, as if her outburst had not just occurred. </p>
<p>“No. I’m not letting you go. I’m sorry for what I said about your bending; you’re right, I have no idea what you have experienced. No idea about the suffering it has caused you. But I do know the joy it brings you, or at least the joy it used to bring you. You cannot deny the connection you have to water as an element,” Gahyeon stated, noticing Siyeon flinch slightly at her last words, “I think denying yourself of bending is actually hurting you, whether you realize it or not.” The older girl processed her sister’s words in silence, which the younger took as a cue to continue. “I’m not saying you should do combat training yet or anything that intense, but I think it would be good for you to start somewhere. Perhaps you can go help the healers? I can go with you, for support. Only if you want,” Gahyeon suggested. “Just please don’t shut me out; I can’t lose my sister,” she added softly. The ice in Siyeon’s gaze finally melted after her sister’s plea. Her anger remained, still hurt by the younger’s words. Nevertheless, she could appreciate the sentiment behind her actions. Neither of them had much in the world; having each other was worth fighting for. With a deep, cleansing breath, the bender nodded. </p>
<p>“Okay,” she relented, “Let’s go assist the healers.”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>She shouldn’t be afraid; her bending would be used for healing: the very opposite of hurting. <em>There is nothing to fear,</em> she told herself, though the reassuring words did little to disrupt the flashbacks replaying of the last time she had used her bending. Her inner conflict was manifesting into a nausea which she tried to repress. Part of her wanted to flee, back to her room, where she could ignore her bending in solitude. The other part of her knew she needed to stay, following a path to hopeful recovery. If not for herself, then for Gahyeon. She knew fleeing now would damage her sister and the bond they shared. Siyeon never wanted to hurt someone again, so her choice was clear as she held the door open for the two of them to enter the healing quarters.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Gahyeon sat, as still as her body would allow, fixated on the bending occurring before her. Although it had been awhile since she last saw her sister bend, it was as awe-inspiring as the very first time. The way her hands only needed to hover over the other person, dancing gently, guiding water throughout the person's body. A person's energy, their <em>chi,</em> always fascinated Gahyeon. The ebb and flow of it all, how it moved precisely where a bender needed it to in order to produce their abilities. As her eyes followed her sister’s motions, a thought blossomed. If the movement of chi is necessary for bending, what would happen if the movement were to be interrupted? Theoretically, it would make sense for the bending to be interrupted as well. Idea in mind, she rose from her distant, spectating spot to move closer, hoping for a better view. At the approach of the younger girl, the older raised one eyebrow in question, not ceasing her motions. “Did you need something?” the bender questioned.</p>
<p>Gahyeon shrugged, “Not particularly; it’s just interesting.” Her sister hummed in acknowledgement. As the younger sibling astutely observed, her mind began to theorize.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Later that evening, as the sisters walked home in the moonlight, Gahyeon began to voice her curiosities. </p>
<p>“Are there, like, key points in the body where chi passes through?” she asked, seemingly out of the blue. Her sister was first surprised by the spontaneity of the question, before providing a thoughtful answer.</p>
<p>“There are some pressure points, yes. Think of them like the main highways where most of the energy must flow through in the body. There are some in your neck and shoulder regions, also near one’s joints,” she confirmed, “However, chi touches every part of the body and it becomes especially concentrated in areas that produce bending.” The younger girl hummed as if she understood, yet her furrowed brows suggested otherwise. Siyeon cleared her throat, and nervously said, “I can, um, show you. If that would help.” Gahyeon looked at her with equal parts surprise and adoration.</p>
<p>“You would do that for me?” she inquired, giving the other girl an opportunity to change her mind. This would be the first time she used her bending for anything other than healing since her traumatic experience. Despite her nervousness, the bender waved off the question.</p>
<p>“It’s not a big deal; just a little orb of water,” Siyeon affirmed more for her own sake than her sister’s. One shaky exhale and a turn of her wrist later, there was a neat, swirling sphere of water floating above her hand. She couldn’t help the timid smile of relief that shaped her lips. Although, her small smile was immediately overshadowed by Gahyeon’s giant grin. The younger sister invaded her personal space to examine the sphere more closely. </p>
<p>“You did it!” she cheered, causing the older sister to blush bashfully.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you’re so impressed by a simple water blob; I’ve shown you way cooler things,” the bender downplayed. </p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter how fancy it is, Siyeon, it’s the fact that you finally used your bending to make it. I’m proud of you,” she told her with a squeeze of her arm. Since Siyeon was not the type to verbally express her appreciation, she made up for it with her eloquent eyes. One deep look was enough for her sister to understand her perfectly, no words needed. Before the moment became too soft, the bender cleared her throat again.</p>
<p>“Uh, anyway, there is a concentration of energy here in my wrist, supplying my hand with the power to conjure the orb of water,” she explained. The other girl, whose hand was still on the bender’s arm from earlier, moved it down to now feel her wrist.</p>
<p>“Here?” she asked, met with a nod from the other.</p>
<p>“Yes, can you feel the thrum of energy?” the older sister questioned. Focusing on her own fingertips, she felt the extra warmth and slightly exaggerated pulse under her touch. Suddenly, she pressed two fingers hard into the bender’s inner wrist. As soon as she did, the once levitating water fell gracelessly, splashing to the ground, and Siyeon’s mouth fell with it. “What the fuck?” she said bluntly. Her wrist hung limply, showing no signs of being able to bend in the immediate future. While the bender was about to enter a panic, the nonbender appeared absolutely delighted. </p>
<p>“I always knew you were limp wristed,” she teased her sister, giggling. If Siyeon were not on the verge of freaking out, perhaps she would have laughed at her sister’s excellent wit. </p>
<p>“Now is not the time for jokes, Gahyeon. What the fuck did you do; I can’t bend,” she snapped. </p>
<p>“I was testing a theory that I had developed earlier while watching you heal those people,” she stated, “I wanted to see if one could obstruct a person’s bending by striking a relevant pressure point. It looks like I was correct; how cool is that.” Her beaming expression was the opposite of Siyeon’s deeply concerned look which was fixated on her still limp wrist. “Don’t worry, it will return to normal soon enough,” she assured her sister, before pausing to add, “I mean, probably.”</p>
<p>“PROBABLY?” Siyeon choked out. </p>
<p>Gahyeon simply shrugged. “We’ll have to wait and see.”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Luckily for Gahyeon, who had been threatened with a shaved head, Siyeon’s bending returned within the hour that night. Infatuated with her discovery, she had begged her older sister to help her experiment with what she was now calling “chi blocking.” Unable to deny her baby sister, Siyeon begrudgingly agreed to help, but only in the middle of the night, away from the prying eyes of nosy villagers. In the following weeks, Gahyeon had mastered chi blocking, like she mastered any other skill that she set her sights on. Now, not only did she know exactly which part of the body to strike in order to debilitate one’s bending, but she could do it during combat. When she had first suggested the idea to Siyeon, the bender was completely against it, still apprehensive about using her bending against another person in anything other than a benign manner. Of course, with enough pleading and pestering on Gahyeon’s part, the bender relented once again, after putting in place a safe-word (“tissue”) as an extra precaution. </p>
<p>That is how they found themselves sparring in the dead of night. Their past duels consisted mostly of Siyeon on the offense, while Gahyeon expertly dodged the incoming attacks. Now, the dynamic shifted. With the firsthand experience of having her chi blocked, the bender spent more time using her bending to keep her sister far enough away from her than she did actually trying to win the fight. Despite her best efforts, trying to deter her sister was like trying to ward of the inevitable. Her acrobatics and chi blocking became an unstoppable force, always managing to leave Siyeon incapacitated. With her limbs resembling wet noodles, the bender called for a truce. “As much as I enjoy losing feeling in my arms and legs, I think it’s time to call it quits for tonight,” she announced, making her sister giggle. The younger girl approached her, slinging the bender’s arm around her own shoulders so that she could support the weakened girl as they made their way home. While her sister may have been exhausted, the younger girl was still overflowing with energy. </p>
<p>“Siyeon, I’m not tired yet. We should do something else,” Gahyeon said hopefully. Her sister side-eyed her, waiting to hear her suggestion. “Let’s do something crazy,” she declared suddenly, causing Siyeon to wince at the possibilities.</p>
<p>Definitely NOT the do-something-crazy type, she hesitantly asked, “What did you have in mind?” Gahyeon didn’t think her sister would actually agree, so she had not considered what she wanted to do. After a moment of thought, she made her decision.</p>
<p>“Let’s dye our hair,” she decided, ready to use her polar-bear-dog eyes to convince her sister if necessary. Surprisingly, the older one caved without complaint. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>By the end of the night, which had turned into early morning by now, Gahyeon's hair boasted a bright magenta color, matching her personality perfectly. More surprisingly though, Siyeon had agreed to let Gahyeon both dye AND cut her hair. The younger sister made quick work of the task, before the older one could change her mind. As a result, the water bender sported a short, deep-blue colored bob, which complimented her own personality, too. Both girls seemed genuinely pleased with the outcome of Gahyeon’s spontaneous decision. “I have to say, I’m shocked you agreed to my idea, but I’m definitely glad you did,” the nonbender admitted. Siyeon shrugged, seemingly lax for someone typically so full of worry. </p>
<p>“I’m surprised myself, to be honest. I guess I’m feeling a little spontaneous tonight; got any other crazy ideas?” Siyeon asked, not very seriously. After a brief, pensive moment, Gahyeon answered.</p>
<p>“We should get out of here; go live somewhere else. I heard the Earth Kingdom city Omashu is nice,” Gahyeon said, chuckling. What she did not expect was the look Siyeon gave her in response. The serious gaze of hers was almost as unsettling as the words that followed.</p>
<p>“Okay. Let’s go,” she uncharacteristically agreed. To say that Gahyeon was bewildered would be an understatement. She wondered if she had left her sister’s hair dye on for too long, causing brain damage.</p>
<p>“What? Like right now?” she inquired in disbelief. </p>
<p>“Why not? I have no reason to stay anymore; there are only painful memories here. As long as you’re with me, I would rather be anywhere else. So if you want to leave, I’m right behind you,” the older sister admitted seriously. And maybe Gahyeon had left her own hair dye on for too long as well because her sister’s words made perfect sense: she suddenly found herself agreeing. </p>
<p>“Okay, I’m with you. Let’s go,” she declared with finality. </p>
<p>Before the sun could firmly take its position in the sky, mere hours later, the sisters found themselves on a boat. With all of their valuables in the overstuffed bags on their backs, they drifted away from their suffocating village and all of the pain it had caused them.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Bora Backstory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kim Bora was overflowing with charms and talent, yet happiness seemed to always be slightly out of reach. Only when she learns to let go will it finally fall into her lap. In the meantime, her past investments pay off in more ways than one and she celebrates with an intriguing stranger.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone! I'm here to announce that the "B" in "Bora" stands for bold, beautiful, and bottom. This is the last backstory before we get into the actual plot, so if you were bored up until now, congrats! It's almost over! And if you were enjoying the backstories then congrats again because I got carried away with this one so it's much longer than the others. Also, please note that there is some sexual content in this chapter! Nothing too graphic, mostly intense making out and implied sex, but if it's not for you just that portion it's not super important. It was also my first time writing something sexy so I apologize if it didn't hit right. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading and feel free to leave feedback :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bora, honey, remember we have dinner with the Lee family tonight. Make sure you wear something nice; their son is coming. Even though they are a bit lower class than we are, he is an eligible bachelor and you could do worse. You’re not getting any younger, after all,” Bora’s mother told her with artificial sweetness. The daughter rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her irritation. </p><p>“Mother, I’m only 24. I have plenty of time to find a partner and settle down,” Bora explained, not mentioning that she may not be interested in settling down, ever, but that’s a discussion for a later date. </p><p>“Surely your <em>husband</em> will want several children to carry on both of your family names, so you don’t want to miss your window for peak fertility,” Mrs. Kim stated matter-of-factly. Her daughter certainly did not miss the way the older woman had pointedly inserted the word “husband.” Not that it was surprising; her mother always had an antiquated perspective on gender roles, making it explicitly clear how she wanted her daughter to lead her life. Bora was expected to essentially be the brand ambassador for her very own family. </p><p>The Kim family was one of the most prestigious noble families in the Earth Kingdom, which gave them a sort of celebrity status, at least within Omashu. One would think that the Kim family would want to be represented as powerful, spirited individuals, and they did: that is what they had their two sons for. As for their daughter, who was also the middle child, her job was to look good, hold her tongue, and try not to rock the boat. </p><p>Bora had no problem meeting, even exceeding, the first expectation on the list; being beautiful was one of her many natural talents. When she would stroll through the city’s art galleries, the sculptures would whisper enviously about the girl’s remarkable beauty. Her eyes were as warm and bright as her iconic, boisterous laughter; her nose was as sharp as her wit. Even from a distance, one could see how soft and smooth the girl’s lips, as well as her light-brown hair, were. All of these glorious features adorned a petite body, only around 160 cm, but it was certainly a body to behold. She did not maintain her body by sitting around, charming wealthy men and pretending to laugh at dinner parties, like her parents wished that she would. No, she achieved her healthy physique by being an earth bending extraordinaire. Which is also one of the reasons why she could never fulfill the other expectations of being quiet and not causing a stir.</p><p>When she realized her aptitude for earth bending at a young age, she devoted her life to it. Luckily for her, as the middle child, she was never the focus of her parents attention, helping her to slip under their radar and pursue bending more vigorously. Only when she grew older, already an expert in her bending craft, did she begin to draw her parents attention. “Bora, it’s not very feminine of you to use your earth bending so often, maybe you should leave that sort of thing to your brothers,” they would tell her. Somehow, her parents found a way to be disappointed in their daughter’s undeniable talent: a talent for which any other parent would praise her up and down. </p><p>They were the only ones with disdain for her bending; everyone else was instantly charmed by Bora’s gift. The earth bender was clever, sometimes too clever, which meant she was well aware of her effect on others. She knew that, according to conventional beauty standards, she was a <em>bombshell.</em> Combining her beauty with her dominant earth bending, which later developed to include metal bending (yeah, she’s <em>good</em>): she acknowledged that she was the standard. As she matured, she began to utilize her overflowing charms to her benefit. </p><p>Being the middle child could be sad, like when seeking validation or comfort from one’s parents, yet they never spared the time of day. Other times, the lack of attention was a blessing, or at least it was for Bora. As a teenager, her parents were so preoccupied with her older brother, the oldest Kim child, polishing him to be the face of their family, that they, unintentionally, let her develop unobstructed. Given this accidental freedom, Bora was able to come to terms with her bisexuality pretty painlessly. For her, it was never made clear that she “should” be attracted to men and ONLY men, although she assumes that her parents had meant to imply that, given their less-than-ideal response to her sexuality now. So, without expectations set upon her, she developed naturally. It was as simple for her as having a crush on the cute girl in her geography class, and also finding the guy at the streetfair attractive. She never had to struggle with whether her feelings and attraction toward multiple genders were valid; she experienced them, therefore they were, since she had never been told otherwise. In times when she felt hurt that her parents all but ignored her, she remembered to also feel grateful that they at least ignored her enough to let her find her identity without the turmoil and pain experienced by many others. </p><p>Finding herself in her 20s, Bora had become comfortable and confident in all aspects of her identity: being a beautiful, powerful, earth-bending, bisexual badass. And as much as the world and her own parents tried to make her feel bad about certain aspects, her self-acceptance always overshadowed their negativity. Besides, the vast majority adored Bora’s identity, which she used to keep an endless supply of Omashu’s finest men and women on her arms. It’s not that she was promiscuous, since she never really pursued relationships with these people, it was more so to prevent her from ever being lonely. Perhaps catalyzed by lack of attention given to her growing up, once people started truly noticing her, Bora realized what she had been missing and began craving attention with an insatiable thirst. Maybe she felt like she had to prove that she was <em>worth</em> of attention, always aiming to be the most beautiful, the most talented, the most charming person in the room. One could guess that she was developing a bit of a complex, but until she failed to be the person who soared far above the rest, she would never know the consequences. </p><p>Joining the pro-bending scene at age 22 only fed her complex more, especially since she had been undefeated for the past two years. She had initially joined at the suggestion of her romantic companion at the time. </p><p>*****</p><p>Bora had, unsurprisingly, charmed the pants off the woman, with the woman’s consent of course, leading to a passionate night of intimacy. After both women were satisfied, they found themselves laying in the woman’s bed, catching their breath before Bora took her leave (she would never stay the night). As the renown earth bender stared at the ceiling, dwelling in her own thoughts, her companion was laying on her side, caressing the impressive muscles on the bender’s arms. Bora was surprised when the woman interrupted the silence. “You’re actually the best earth bender I have ever seen, you know,” she admitted. Bora pulled her eyes away from the ceiling to look at her companion. </p><p>“Actually, I <em>do</em> know,” she replied with a smirk. The other woman did not even entertain the bender’s response, not wanting to feed into her ego anymore. Instead, she continued with her earlier train of thought.</p><p>“Seriously, you’re insanely talented. You should enter a pro-bending match,” she suggested. Bora quirked one of her perfect eyebrows.</p><p>“What’s pro-bending?” she asked with intrigue. </p><p>“I’m surprised you don’t know; it seems like something you would be into,” the other woman admitted, “It’s a sport where the objective is to knock your opponents off the edge of the arena, or at least push them as far back as you can before time expires. My friends and I always watch the matches, or at least try to listen to them on the radio.” The sparkle in Bora’s eyes conveyed her instant interest in the idea of becoming a pro-bender. </p><p>“That does sound fun; I think I’m going to look into it. Thanks, sweetheart,” she said, punctuated with a kiss on the other woman’s cheek before she rolled out of bed to get dressed. </p><p>“My pleasure,” she replied, giggling. </p><p>“Oh, I know all about <em>your</em> pleasure,” Bora teased with a wink as she pulled on her pants. The other girl’s mouth gaped open, a deep blush arising on her cheeks, causing Bora to chuckle. “Cutie,” she announced, tapping the girl on the nose. “Will you come watch my matches?” she asked, shrugging her shirt on. The other girl finally seemed to find her voice, recovering from the flustered state the bender left her in.</p><p>“Would you want me to?” the woman asked, fluttering her eyelashes, clearly hoping for Bora to say yes, maybe ask to take things further. </p><p>Ultimately, she was left disappointed when the bender said, “I always want another pair of beautiful eyes on me.” Her statement was honest, at least, though it reminded the woman that she was only a temporary line in the epic known as Kim Bora. The bender then thanked her for a delightful evening, telling the woman to look forward to her pro-bending debut, before heading off into the night.</p><p>*****</p><p>Back in the present moment, Bora realized that she had tuned out her nagging mother for the past few minutes, too busy reminiscing in her own mind. </p><p>“...and that’s why it’s very important to wear your best dress to dinner tonight. Making a good impression on him is important for us,” her mother finished whatever she had been saying. Bora regretted tuning back in at this moment; she hated the way her mother minimized her to a mere pai sho piece that would be used to boost the Kim Family status in the game of nobility. She had waited years for her mother’s attention: having it like this was a bitter disappointment. The sudden urge to leave overcame her, influenced by the constant, underlying craving for the kind of attention she would never find at home. </p><p>“I have to run some errands,” she declared, heading towards the door without waiting for her mother’s reply. </p><p>“Make sure you’re back in time for din--” but Bora earth bended the ornate, stone door shut before she could hear  the rest of her mother’s reply. </p><p>She was thankful for the warm air of the late summer evening because she was only wearing a sleeveless top with her dark jeans and rugged boots; she had not anticipated running out, but her mother had that effect on her. With her new-found freetime, she decided to be productive and actually run errands that she had been putting off. </p><p>Her first stop was the office at the pro-bending arena; she had to collect her compensation for winning the past 7 matches. When she opened the door to the office, the bell chimed, signaling her arrival. From behind an intimidating desk, an equally intimidating-looking man picked his head up. His stoic scowl sprouted into a goofy grin as soon as he recognized the pro-bending star. “Queen Sua! Always a sight for sore eyes,” he greeted. When she got involved with pro-bending, Bora had decided it would be best to use a stage name, not wanting to draw any unwanted publicity to the untarnished Kim name: that is how Queen Sua was born. She even made sure her payments were addressed to Sua, opening a separate bank account in the same name, so that her family would not be able to trace her financial activity. She was not hiding her pro-bending life from her family per se, they simply never cared enough to ask about her life, unless they needed to exploit it.</p><p> In Omashu, the sport was adored more by the common folk: the upper class was too preoccupied with sucking up at their tacky tea parties to pay any mind to the word outside their egos. </p><p>“Hey, Bumi. I’m here to collect my payment,” she said, getting right to business. Bumi was typically the type to talk one’s ear off, but he could sense the woman was not in the mood for that today and respected that. </p><p>“Sure thing, superstar,” he said, pulling her payslip out from the desk drawer and handing it over. “Don’t spend it all in one place!” he warned. Bora chuckled lightly, before thanking him and leaving for her next stop: the bank.</p><p>Anyone who did not know Bora well (so, everyone) would only take her at face value: an egotistical, upper-class airhead. Yet, beneath the shallow surface, Bora was incredibly thoughtful. Years of practice made it seem natural, yet each action, each reply from the earth bender, had been meticulously pre-planned. In her mind, she could not afford for an interaction to be less than perfect. For all she knows, it would only take one mistake, the reveal of one imperfection, for the target of her interaction to lose interest in her. She couldn’t handle that, not after she worked so tirelessly to keep all eyes on her.</p><p>A product of her meticulous planning brought her to the bank. The very bank in which Bora had been saving and investing her money since the day she turned 18th. It was around that time that she realized that she would never be the daughter her parents planned for her to be. She had no intention of becoming a trophy wife trapped in the display case of some gaudy mansion. As if her bisexuality had not already been a strike against her in her parents’ eyes, the denial of being married off as a power grab for the Kims would be the final straw. She knew her parents would cut her off as soon as they came to terms with this, so she had been biding her time.</p><p>Unbeknownst to anyone other than herself and her investor, Bora had been investing 75 percent of her monthly allowance, which she received simply because she was the daughter of a wealthy family. Once she began pro-bending, every winning paycheck from there was deposited directly into her savings account. All of this foresight was in place so that Bora would never have to struggle when her parents finally removed her from the family and subsequently their payroll. By now, she had saved enough to live comfortably without ever having to worry about how to put food on the table or a roof over her head. Entering the bank, she greeted the usual teller, deposited her usual amount. Before leaving, she noticed the investor she worked with was in her office. </p><p>Although the door was open, Bora knocked on the threshold, trying to avoid scaring the woman. “Hi, Vivi, do you have a moment?” she asked in the doorway, gaining the other woman’s attention.</p><p>“Sure, Bora, come on in,” Vivi welcomed her, offering the bender a seat in front of her desk, “What can I help you with this evening?”</p><p>“It’s about one of my properties, actually,” Bora began. One of her investments had been in real estate; she had locations all around Omashu and even in other regions of the Earth Kingdom. Her properties included restaurants, tea shops, bakeries, storefronts, and about a dozen apartments. They had mostly been for the sake of rental income, but she had always known that one of her apartments would come in handy. “Has the downtown apartment been rented yet? The one with the view of the pro-bending stadium?” Vivi scanned through the hefty folder that contained the info on all of Bora’s rental properties until she found the one in question. Checking the information, she confirmed that it still had not been rented. “Perfect. Please pull it off the market. I will be taking it for my own personal use as of tonight,” she announced. </p><p>“As you wish, Ms. Kim. Let me just fetch the keys from the safe and you will be on your way,” the other woman stated. When she returned and handed over the keys, Bora felt as if she were holding freedom in her hands for the first time. </p><p>“Thank you, Vivi. I’ll be in touch,” she said, bidding the woman farewell and heading off.</p><p>*****</p><p>She could have gone back to her parents’ estate, maybe making it back in time for dessert with the Lee family, where she would have to pretend to be too full to eat the teeny teacakes, because <em>ladies</em> do not have large appetites, and overzealously giggle at all of the Lee’s son’s bland, humorless jokes. While that sounded oh-so appealing, she decided against it. <br/>She could have gone to see her new apartment, even though she had already seen it when she originally bought and furnished it. That would be the safest option, yet she decided against that as well. </p><p>Instead she made the choice to celebrate her new freedom. She would still have to deal with the consequences of missing dinner, which would definitely not go over well, but that was a problem for tomorrow, and tonight was not tomorrow. Tonight, Bora would have fun. Hopefully, with someone who would help her break in her new apartment.</p><p>*****</p><p>Soon enough, she found herself at <em>Insomnia,</em> one of the clubs she frequented after her pro-bending matches. The environment was invigorating, the music was top tier, even if it was too loud, and the company was enjoyable, especially the ones who were lucky enough to leave with pro-bending star Queen Sua. Upon entry, she found an empty seat at the bar. She preferred to start her evenings there: it allowed her to survey her surroundings thoroughly before making a move. </p><p>The bartender recognized her right away, sliding a pint of beer on the counter for her, which she accepted graciously. Downing the drink in one long gulp, she felt in her gut that tonight would be a good night. Or maybe it was just the beer she felt in her gut. In any case, her gut was happy, thus was she. As she gestured to the bartender for a refill, there was the sudden feeling of warm breath against her neck. “I’ve never seen a pint-sized woman down a pint-sized beer before: consider me impressed,” the mysterious voice breathed huskily. Bora couldn’t help the involuntary shiver that ran down her spine, from the warm sensation against her sensitive ear. She also couldn’t help the giggle that escaped at the stranger’s words, much to her own embarrassment. Neither Kim Bora nor Queen Sua were the type to <em>giggle,</em> so she had to regain control of the interaction. </p><p>Clearing her throat and preparing a witty comeback, she turned around to face the stranger, only to be met with one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen, aside from herself. Whatever retort she had in mind died there as she gazed helplessly at the goddess in front of her. The woman was tall and slender, though not in a docile way. In fact, she looked like she could kick Bora’s ass, which the shorter girl found highly attractive at the moment. Everything about the woman was intimidating, from her angular face (though her cheeks were surprisingly plush and Bora found them adorable) to her sharp eyes and her crimson-red hair. For all she knew, the woman’s hair was dyed red with the blood of her defeated enemies, but it was <em>hot.</em> She only realized she had been staring when her eyes focused on the woman’s luscious mouth, that was now smirking at her. Bora snapped her eyes up, locking them with the stranger’s amused ones. “Cat got your tongue?” the stranger asked when Bora never replied.</p><p>“I’d prefer if you had my tongue,” the earth bender finally blurted out, before her brain could even approve the line. She did not have time to offer an apology for her bold words because the other woman began grinning mischievously. </p><p>“Why don’t we start by dancing and see where the night goes, hm?” she proposed, plucking the glass from Bora’s fingers and replacing it with her own hand, then leading her to the dance floor. </p><p>The club was crowded for a Thursday night, causing Bora to stay close to her companion, not that she minded, as they reached the dance floor. Finding an open space in the crowd, the woman pulled Bora to her, so that the earth bender’s back was molded snuggly against her front as they began to sway to the song playing, which Bora vaguely recognized as “Easy” by Wheein. </p><p>Among Bora’s many talents, dancing was one of them, so she wasted no time in grinding back against her dance partner, matching the rhythm of the music. She had to make up for the fact that she giggled like a shy teenager before, and from the way her partner’s grip on her hips tightened, it was working. </p><p>She felt a mix of calm and excitement, being with the other woman, because as hot and intimidating as she was, she also had a comforting aura that made Bora relax into her embrace. She enjoyed the bliss of dancing with a beautifully mysterious woman and being in the moment. When the song finally changed, Bora turned in her partner’s embrace so that they were now face-to-face. Well, as face-to-face as they could be considering the height difference. Her original plan was to sensually wrap her arms around the woman’s neck, however, her limited height prevented her from reaching, so she settled for resting her hands on the other’s hips, pulling her close enough to be heard over the music. </p><p>“I never got your name,” she told the red-haired woman. The woman brought her head down to Bora’s ear again, either to be heard better or to drive the shorter woman crazy (it was both). </p><p>“Does it matter, earth bender?” she breathed into Bora’s ear, producing another involuntary shudder in the shorter girl. Bora thought about it for a moment before deciding no, it really didn’t. They were just two women having fun in the moment, she doubted either of them would remember their names by the end of the night anyway. </p><p>“I suppose not, as long as you’re not a murderer,” she joked, expecting a laugh from the stranger, though the woman only smirked again, which seemed to be a permanent feature on her face at this point.</p><p>“And what if I am?” she responded. It was an odd reply, yet Bora interpreted it as flirting since it came from a hot woman.</p><p>“Then I think you and I have different expectations for the rest of the night,” she explained, finally earning a laugh from the other woman. Causing such an intimidating, attractive woman to laugh made Bora’s ego swell, however briefly. After another moment, she realized something: “Wait, I never told you that I was an earth bender. How did you know?” </p><p>“Well, you look too expensive for manual labor,” she began, gliding her fingertips from where they had been resting on Bora’s shoulders, down her arms until they took the bender’s hands in her own. Her thumb stroked circles over Bora’s palm: “Yet, I doubt you got these callouses from holding wine glasses. Therefore, you must be an earth bender.” Bora did not try to hide the impressed look on her face. </p><p>“Okay, Sherlock, make any other observations?” she asked with intrigue. And she should have guessed that the next response would make her jaw drop, considering how the night had been going combined with the mirthful glint in the red-haired woman’s eyes. </p><p>“You’re usually a top, but tonight, you’re going to bottom,” the woman concluded with utmost confidence. They had been playing a cat and mouse game all evening, yet Bora did not expect the other woman to become so bold. Nevertheless, she was not about to let someone, even this attractive stranger, out-do her when it came to boldness. Using her bending to raise the ground beneath her so that she was the same height as her partner, she snaked one hand behind the woman’s neck, pulling her into a blazing kiss. </p><p>All of the tension that had been building up from the moment the red-haired woman whispered in Bora’s ear was poured into the kiss. Neither woman wasted much time before involving teeth and tongues, not hiding the blatant desire they had for one another. If Bora didn’t know any better, she would guess that the other woman was an air bender, considering the way she stole the breath from her lungs with that kiss. When the lack of air made her a little too dizzy, the earth bender finally pulled away, with a final nip of the other’s bottom lip. </p><p>“I’m going to make you eat those words,” she panted into her ear, pulling back enough to see the woman’s reaction. Bora was hoping to see a blush or something resembling a remotely flustered state, yet the woman seemed collected as ever, despite her dilated pupils that had engulfed her eyes in darkness.</p><p>“Among other things, I hope,” the red-hair woman retorted shamelessly. Bora hoped the moan that escaped her throat had been drowned out by the music, though she knew she wouldn’t be that lucky. Taking the woman’s hand and leading her toward the exit of the club, she hoped to get <em>that</em> lucky instead.</p><p>*****</p><p>When they reached her new apartment, Bora could not be bothered to break the kiss they were sharing to search for her keys. Out of convenience and the sake of showing off, she used her metal-bending to force the door open. The duo were barely two steps in the apartment before Bora slammed the door shut, pinning the stranger against it. She really appreciated the fact that the door was made of metal in this moment because it allowed her to form make-shift restraints around her partner’s wrists, which were verified as consensual via meaningful eye contact, so that she could take her time kissing down her body, uninterrupted. The sounds of pleasure coming from the restrained woman let Bora know that her actions were well appreciated. Though as Bora continued to suck and mark autographs on her skin, the pleasurable sounds turned into whines of frustration.</p><p>“Are you going to tease me all night?” the red-haired girl complained, breathing heavily. Bora was on her knees at this point, teasing the button of the woman’s pants between her fingertips. She looked up from her position, catching her partner’s dilated eyes and smirked boldly.</p><p>“Just taking my time reminding you that I’m still the top,” she taunted, accentuating her reply by undoing the button. Above her, the stranger pulled against the restraints, causing the door to groan in protest. </p><p>“Let’s move to a non-metal surface and see who ends up on top,” she refuted, but Bora wouldn’t take the bait. The bender hummed while dragging the woman’s pants down, leaving a trail of intoxicating kisses on each, newly revealed patch of skin. </p><p>“It’s actually my first night in this apartment, so I think it’s only right that we take our time, thoroughly testing out every surface,” she cheekily suggested.</p><p>“Of course; I’m sure I can give you the perfect homecoming gift. Let’s celebrate,” she agreed. And celebrate they did. </p><p>*****</p><p>When Bora woke up the next morning, alone, she was disoriented. It took her a few moments to realize that she was in her new bedroom in her new home. Once she adjusted to her surroundings, the memories of the previous night rushed back to her, some of which caused her to flush all over again. The record showed that Bora had, in fact, bottomed more times than she cared to admit, although she would argue that it was only because she let the other woman top, like the gentlewoman she is. It was not her strongest argument, but it’s not like she would see the woman again for her to dispute it. </p><p>When the memories of the night subsided, she was hit with the awareness that she had not only missed dinner with the Lees, but she also failed to return at all last night. Yet, as she stretched in her new bed, which felt more comfortable by the second, she couldn’t find it in herself to care. This was her home now, and with that thought, she closed her eyes, falling back into an unbothered sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Natural Sweetener</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>2Yoo begin their adventure in Omashu, and find themselves in a particularly sweet spot, with some particularly sweet people.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back everyone!! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. While I had detailed plans for the backstories, this and future chapters are less planned, so they will take longer to write, making updates a little slower. Also, would you guys prefer more frequent, shorter chapters, or more time between updates, but longer chapters? Let me know what you think in the comments. Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the first week that Yoohyeon and Yubin were in Omashu, they explored the city with wide, shining eyes and eager hands. Everything to them was impressive, from the cobble-stone roads to the market stalls, it was all so new and exciting for the two girls who had been stuck on Kyoshi island their entire lives. Yoohyeon was bouncing from sight to sight, her feet barely touching the ground. In fact, sometimes her feet did leave the ground, unconsciously using her airbending, and Yubin would have to pull her back down, reminding her not to draw too much attention to themselves. Though she did not express it as outwardly, Yubin was as excited as her best friend, only she had to be the responsible one, as usual, and remember that they weren't here on vacation: they were here to find Yoohyeon bending masters. </p><p>As stern as she was about their quest, trying to keep Yoohyeon's exuberance under control was like trying to prevent rain from falling. So, there was nothing the warrior could do to prevent her friend from squealing at the pink, bubble letters that read <em>Bunny-Dog Bakery</em>, complete with a cartoony, bunny-dog; of course, Yoohyeon dragged the warrior inside. </p><p>The air inside the bakery was soothing and sweet; it immediately became Yoohyeon’s favorite air, which for her, as an air connoisseur, was saying something. Everything about the interior of the bakeshop matched the vibe of the sign out front perfectly: there were pastel colors all over, flowers on every table, display cases with delicate pastries, and a bunny-dog matching the likeness of the cartoon outside was snuggled in a bed on the windowsill. “Is this paradise?” Yoohyeon breathed, voice trembling in awe as she took it all in. </p><p>Before Yubin could even warn Yoohyeon to control herself, the bender’s breath was fogging up the glass of the display cases she was now hovering over, eyeing each dessert with wonder. There were colorful macaroons, dainty fruit-tarts, golden-brown pies, and the cutest of them all: cream puffs shaped like the bunny-dogs. While Yoohyeon absorbed it all, Yubin took the time to acknowledge the woman behind the counter, who greeted them with a neutral, “Welcome,” and an apathetic smile. </p><p>If Yubin were thinking clearly, she would have found it odd for such an aloof woman to be working in such a whimsical place, but she was <em>not</em> thinking clearly. Her thoughts were entirely preoccupied by how attractive the woman was. Her eyes were intense, razor-like and dangerous, yet captivating at the same time. The high cheekbones and smooth curvature of her jaw served to make her more imposing, though her gentle nose and full lips softened her image, if only slightly. Yubin only had time to admire the crimson waves of the woman’s hair before she realized how long she had been staring. She snapped her eyes back to the woman’s fierce ones, which were gleaming mischievously, causing Yubin to blush as deeply as the woman’s hair. </p><p>Clearing her throat, and hopefully the tense atmosphere, which Yoohyeon was oblivious to as she gazed longingly at the pastries, Yubin finally responded to the bewitching woman behind the counter. “Uh, hi, thanks,” she began, struggling to meet the woman’s eyes. “Sorry...for my friend,” she continued, gesturing to Yoohyeon, who now had her nose fully pressed against the glass of the display case, “she gets excited.” The other woman was smiling more prominently now, although her gaze remained intense and fixated on Yubin. </p><p>“Cute,” the woman stated simply, vaguely, and Yubin was not sure to whom she was referring, since her eyes never left Yubin when she said it. Before she could think more on the subject, the kitchen door swung open and out came another woman, balancing cakes in either hand. </p><p>“Handong, I hope you’re not flustering customers, again. Remember what happened last time? That poor guy,” the new woman scolded Handong, the red-haired woman. </p><p>Maybe it was the fact that the sound of the new woman’s voice was as sweet as the bakery’s air, or maybe it was fate, but it was at that moment that Yoohyeon finally peeled her nose away from the glass and looked up. While everything in the bakeshop was aesthetically pleasing, Yoohyeon immediately realized that this woman was the crème de la crème. </p><p>Pitch-black hair was pulled into a messy bun, with a few rebellious strands falling loosely around a face that was home to red-painted lips, delicate nose, and the most tender, shining eyes the Avatar had ever witnessed. In the way that Handong had opposed the aura of the bakery, this new woman embodied it entirely, right down to her baby pink apron. After seeing such a magnificent woman, Yoohyeon was convinced that she had indeed walked into paradise. </p><p>The bender was definitely the type to panic in the presence of a beautiful woman, and combined with her clumsy nature, she surely would have dropped whatever she was holding. Luckily, her hands had been free when she walked in, so the only thing she dropped was her jaw. The other woman, however, was not as lucky. </p><p>While Yoohyeon had been entranced by the new woman, the experience was apparently mutual, because as soon as the woman had locked eyes with the Avatar, her hands went slack and both tastefully decorated cakes plummeted to the floor, landing with a <em>splat.</em> </p><p>There was a moment when none of the women said a word, all standing in speechless shock, albeit for different reasons, before Handong finally spoke. </p><p>“Jiu, what the fuck?” she questioned bluntly enough to snap the baker from her frozen state. As soon as the woman, Jiu, recovered and realized what had happened, she became flustered. </p><p>“Oh my-- shit-- I don’t know-- I’m so sorry; I can’t believe that happened,” she stammered, struggling to complete a thought amidst her embarrassment. As soon as she finished speaking, she knelt down to begin cleaning up the piles of crumbs and frosting that were once cakes. </p><p>Apparently, Jiu appearing to need help was all it took for Yoohyeon to become a functioning person once more. With the loud announcement of, “I CAN HELP,” the Avatar immediately flew over the counter, in a way that no ordinary person would be able to, only an air bender. The two women who had been watching from the side, Handong and Yubin, now had their eyebrows raised in complete surprise: Yubin’s because she didn’t anticipate that Yoohyeon would reveal herself as an air bender so quickly and Handong’s because she just witnessed airbending. Jiu, on the other hand, was too busy hastily cleaning the cake up with her hands to question how the woman was now instantly kneeling beside her, also picking up the shambles of cake with her hands. However, Handong was not about to let the revelation be ignored.</p><p>“You’re an <em>air bender</em>?” she asked loudly, not hiding her surprise. This was enough to get everyone’s attention, causing the two girls on the floor to freeze and look at each other. </p><p>“You are?” Jiu questioned, in her own surprised tone. The Avatar was blushing at this point, feeling bashful for exposing herself as an air bender so effortlessly. She couldn’t meet Jiu’s eyes when she answered.</p><p> “Oh, uh, yeah,” she admitted sheepishly. Then her eyes finally found Jiu’s, which made her feel calmer, more confident, for some reason. “I’m Yoohyeon, by the way!” she suddenly exclaimed, extending her hand in greeting. It would have been a kind gesture, but when Jiu looked down at Yoohyeon’s cake-coated hand, she burst into melodious laughter. Her laughter was so full of uninhibited joy that the Avatar had no choice but to join her, creating their own harmony. </p><p>Off to the side, the other two women shared a knowing look, followed by an eye-roll that seemed to say <em>yeah, my friend is a mess, but she’s my mess.</em> And thus was the beginning of meaningful friendships amongst the four girls. </p><p>*****</p><p>Weeks later, Yoohyeon was pushing open the door to Bunny-Dog Bakery, like she had done almost every day since her initial visit. The interior of the bakeshop was as charming as the first time; as charming as the owner herself. Ever since the first time she saw Jiu walk through the kitchen door, like the goddess of baked goods or something, Yoohyeon had developed a crush. Well, it felt like more than a crush, because she had crushes on Kyoshi warriors in the past, but this was different. This felt like she had only seen the world in grayscale before Jiu, and now? The whole world was in color, with Jiu being the brightest one of them all. </p><p>But the Avatar couldn’t tell Jiu that she felt that way; they only knew each other for a short time, not having talked outside the four walls of the bakery. Surely Jiu would be put off by the intensity of Yoohyeon’s feelings at this point. So for now, she kept her feelings to herself and simply enjoyed the moments they spent together as friends. As if her thoughts had manifested, the very woman walked out from the kitchen, just like the first time. </p><p>The air bender couldn’t help the immediate smile that crept onto her upon seeing the other woman, wearing her signature pink apron, this time with a matching pink scrunchie holding her hair in a ponytail, and what appeared to be chocolate frosting on her face. “Hey, you,” she greeted as she approached the counter, catching the baker’s eyes, which instantly became brighter. </p><p>“Hey, Yooh,” the baker replied, giggling at her own pun. Before they could be any cheesier, they were interrupted by the sounds of gagging, courtesy of Yubin, who was sitting at a corner table with Handong. </p><p>“<em>Hey, Yooh</em>,” Handong repeated, mocking Jiu with a surprisingly accurate tone of voice. Jiu rolled her eyes at her friend’s teasing, but she couldn’t help the slight blush that appeared on her face. Yoohyeon paid the others no mind as she instinctively reached out her thumb to wipe away the frosting on the side of Jiu’s face, barely brushing the side of her lips in the process. Only once her fingers finished moving did her mind realize what she had done. Her eyes widened in shock as she met Jiu’s equally surprised look. The tense moment did not have an opportunity to progress before it was interrupted by hecklers. </p><p>“You two do know that we exist, right?” Yubin snarked, getting a fist bump from Handong. By now, Yoohyeon was accustomed to her friends’ teasing, so it rolled easily off her back.</p><p>“If you had given me a chance, I was <em>about</em> to greet both of you, as well,” Yoohyeon assured them, tearing her eyes away from Jiu. </p><p>“As if you are capable of seeing anything other than Jiu when she’s around,” Handong scoffed, making the air bender’s cheeks color and Jiu snap out of her daze to smile in delight (although she couldn’t place why it made her happy to hear). Before her friend could grow any more mortified, Yubin jumped in.</p><p>“Anyway, I heard about this sport called pro-bending. Apparently there is a stadium for it right here in the city,” the warrior announced. </p><p>“Oh yeah, it’s pretty cool; I’ve been a few times,” Handong added. And as much as Yubin teased her about liking Jiu, Yoohyeon was also aware of Yubin’s interest in Handong. So, being her best friend and therefore wingwoman, it was Yoohyeon’s duty to help get the ball rolling between them. </p><p>“That’s perfect, you guys should go together,” she suggested, giving Yubin a subtle, yet pointed look. Despite the Avatar’s attempt at subtlety, Handong, master observer, caught the look. Not that it mattered: Handong was well aware that Yubin was interested in her, and she was just as interested in the warrior. But Handong also noticed that Yubin was not particularly comfortable or forward when expressing her feelings, which is why she was being patient with the warrior. The assassin always made sure to gauge the warrior’s comfort when she flirted with her. To Yubin’s credit, she was gradually getting better at flirting. Handong did not seem to mind; she was more than happy to take things slow. So, when Yubin suggested that all four of them go together, instead of just the two of them, Handong was not surprised. </p><p>What Handong did not realize is that Yubin suggested that the four of them not because she was nervous to be alone with the assassin, but rather because Yubin was trying to give her friend a reason to spend time with Jiu, as well. Leave it to the two best friends to be the best wing-women for each other. Yoohyeon looked expectantly to Jiu, who was still standing behind the counter. </p><p>“Did you want to come?” the air bender asked hopefully, paired with her best bunny-dog eyes. It took all of the baker’s willpower not to agree right there, yet the responsibility of being a business owner, and the sole employee, came first. </p><p>“You know I would love to, but I can’t leave the bakery unattended,” she explained apologetically. Though she tried to hide her disappointment, Yoohyeon’s face told Jiu otherwise, causing the baker’s heart to clench with guilt. Luckily, Handong put her brilliant mind to good use.</p><p>“Why don’t you just come later? We’ll go now and save you a seat, then you can meet us there after you close up,” she offered. It made perfect sense and Yoohyeon returned to her previous state of excitement, waiting for the baker’s reply.</p><p>With her three friends looking at her, she tried to muster up her own excitement at the idea. “Oh, yes, I suppose that could work,” she admitted, trying to sound cheery despite being disappointed at the idea of being left alone while the others went ahead. Perhaps her thoughts were too loud, or Yoohyeon simply knew her that well already, but the air bender provided an even better idea. </p><p>“Why don’t I wait with Jiu and you two go ahead?” she amended the original plan, coming as a relief to the baker. The other women agreed with a shrug.</p><p>“Sure, that works. I’ll give your names to the bouncer so you can get in,” Handong replied. Yoohyeon and Yubin were both surprised at Handong’s seemingly endless connections in this city; Jiu was used to it by now. </p><p>“How do you--” Yubin began, but Handong interrupted her by placing a finger to the warrior’s lips. </p><p>“Don’t worry about it, baby,” the assassin assured with a wink, leaving the warrior with wide eyes and no words. With that, Handong rose smoothly from her seat and sauntered toward the door, while Yubin appeared frozen in place, Not bothering to turn around, Handong simply called out: “Coming, Yubin?” Scampering out of her seat, the typically stoic warrior followed the deadly assassin in an obedient fluster, leaving behind the snickering baker and bender.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Pro-Bender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Handong flirts with Yubin (as usual), Yoohyeon learns more about Jiu, h*nd h*lding, Yoohyeon puts her foot in her mouth, and they meet another character: chaos ensues.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi readers!! So sorry for the delay on this one! Real life has been super busy and this chapter was really annoying to write (I'm still not thrilled with it, but I have to move on). At least we are moving in the right direction! Anyways, thank you for tuning back in, I will continue with this story, rest assured, evening if the updates are a little slower, so please stick around. Hopefully parts of this chapter are enjoyable and extra points to anyone who connects the dots to a previous, nameless character. Thanks for reading and feedback is always appreciated :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Yubin finally caught up with Handong, she could already see the red-haired woman smirking. However, instead of another scandalous remark from the scarlet-haired woman, Yubin received her hand, that interlaced with the warrior's own, which somehow made her blush as hard as if something suggestive had been whispered in her ear. She felt a little silly for letting Handong affect her like this; she tried to build the courage to make a move of her own while the duo walked along, hand-in-hand.</p><p>"Did you, um," Yubin began, "want to get dinner before the match? It'd be my treat." Handong turned to her with an uncharacteristically bright smile decorating her typically sharp face. And as much as Yubin appreciated her face in its' naturally aloof state, she wouldn't mind seeing that kind of smile more often, and she made it her mission to make it appear.</p><p>"No," replied the assassin, greatly surprising Yubin, making her heart pause. Could she have completely misread this situation?</p><p>"No?" The warrior clarified, hoping she misheard.</p><p>"No," Handong affirmed. And just as Yubin's face was about to drop, she continued. "I want to take <em>you</em> to dinner as <em>my</em> treat," she specified, and Yubin finally released the breath she was holding.</p><p>"Don't scare me like that," Yubin grumbled. Handong laughed at that: a beautiful laugh that made the warrior not mind it being at her expense. Then the other woman pulled her into her side affectionately, and rested her head on Yubin's shoulder.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist making you a little nervous," Handong admitted before turning her head to whisper in the other's ear, "I promise to make it up to you later." With the whispered promise of what was to come, Yubin knew her cheeks would be the color of Handong's hair for the rest of the long night.</p><p>*****</p><p>Back at Bunny-Dog Bakery, Yoohyeon was perched on the bench by the window sill, scratching the head of the resident bunny-dog, whose name, she learned, was Cherry. She watched the baker flutter gracefully around the shop, her own heart fluttering in synchronization. Out of all the new and exciting things she discovered in Omashu, Jiu was already her favorite.</p><p>They had never spoken outside of the bakery, though the Avatar felt inexplicably drawn to the baker, as if they were connected by an invisible string. All she wanted to do was spend more time with the other woman and learn about her: her passions, her quirks, her aspirations, her fears, everything. So when there was a lull in customers, she approached the counter to chat.</p><p>"Is there anything I can do to help? I'm kind of a master floor-sweeper," Yoohyeon asked, making the baker giggle.</p><p>"Thanks, but I have everything under control. You can just sit your cute butt down and keep me company," Jiu instructed and Yoohyeon was happy to oblige, plopping down on a stool at the counter.</p><p>"So how did you end up here?" The Avatar asked after a while, curiously. The baker was in the middle of wiping down the counter when the question was asked; Yoohyeon didn't see her freeze briefly at the question. Quickly regaining her composure, she met the other woman's eyes.</p><p>"What do you mean?" she responded, seeking clarification.</p><p>"Like, all of this," Yoohyeon said, gesturing to the entirety of the bakeshop with her hands. "Are you the owner? You don't seem old enough." Jiu chuckled at this, more relaxed than before.</p><p>"Are you just trying to flatter me?" she teased the other woman.</p><p>"What? No, I--" Yoohyeon stammered, before the baker put a hand on her arm to quiet her.</p><p>"Hey, I'm just kidding; don't worry," Jiu assured, "To answer your question: I am the owner, even though I'm pretty young to be. Fortunately for me, my generous uncle gifted this shop to me after years of me pestering him with my dream of owning a bakery."</p><p>"Wow, how rich is your uncle that he can give bakeries as gifts? Is he looking to adopt a new niece because I'm available," joked Yoohyeon, making the baker smile humorously.</p><p>"Hmm, I think it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of gift; he said he spent years arranging it. So, unfortunately, I think your chances of receiving a similar gift are low," she explained and the Avatar hummed in understanding. </p><p>“So have you always lived in Omashu?” Yoohyeon asked next. If anyone else were to ask her all of these questions, Jiu would think they were being nosy, but she knew the other girl was asking out of harmless curiosity. </p><p>“Not always; I’ve been here for years though, so it feels more like home than anywhere else,” Jiu confessed. It was true: it had been years since she started over in Omashu and her life now felt more real than it ever had before. It had been easy for her to leave behind her other life, not having grown close to anyone other than Handong in her years here. Yet, talking to the tall, lanky ray of sunshine in front of her made her want to open up about everything. She knew she couldn’t, however, which left her stinging with guilt.</p><p>“Are there any benders in your family? Or are they all non-benders like you?” came the air bender’s following question, causing Jiu to smile, mostly to herself. The baker had to turn away from the other woman, to hide her expression when she answered.</p><p>“Everyone is a bender in my family,” she said honestly, as she took stock of the leftover pastries from the day. She didn't need to see the look on Yoohyeon's face when the pity was so apparent in her voice.</p><p>"I'm sorry Jiu, you must feel really disconnected from your family then," Yoohyeon replied, and when Jiu turned to face her, she reached out to grab the baker's hand comfortingly. At the touch, Jiu felt more than just comfort, though she couldn't place the other feeling.</p><p>"You could definitely say that," she answered the air bender truthfully. She knew she should cut off the line of questioning before she was forced to start lying. "Anyway! I can close up a few minutes early; it's been pretty slow tonight. You can head out the back door and I'll be there in a minute," announced the baker.</p><p>*****</p><p>Soon enough, the duo were walking side-by-side, leaving the bakeshop behind them. Their steps naturally fell in-sync, despite the air bender being taller. As the taller woman began to ramble about nothing in particular, Jiu took the time to really admire her. The way the glow from the night sky illuminated her silver hair made Jiu believe it was truly made of moonlight. Her shimmering eyes and doughy cheeks only supported Jiu’s theory that the girl was otherworldly. And when her eyes traced down the cutest nose in existence, stopping when finally they landed on lips that appeared to be the perfect shape to fit against her own--</p><p>“What do you think?” came Yoohyeon’s question, interrupting Jiu’s thoughts. The air bender was looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer; the baker could not even pretend she had listened to the question.</p><p>“Uh, what was the question?” she responded sheepishly and Yoohyeon giggled.</p><p>“If you hadn’t been spacing out,” the air bender said, tapping Jiu’s nose for emphasis, “then you would have heard me ask if you think there is something going on between Yubin and Handong.” </p><p>Once she recovered from her embarrassment, she replied, “Oh, for sure. Handong is totally into her.” Hearing that, Yoohyeon lit up, even more so than her already natural state. </p><p>“That’s a relief; Yubin has a huge crush on her. That’s why I let the two of them go ahead: so they could be alone,” the taller woman explained. </p><p>The baker clutched a hand to her chest, dramatically: “And here I was thinking you stayed behind because you wanted to spend time with me,” she mocked playfully, causing the taller girl to blush. </p><p>“I wanted that too,” Yoohyeon shyly admitted, hugging herself. The gesture made the tall girl seem impossibly tiny, and Jiu could not stop herself from reaching over to pinch one of those flushed, chubby cheeks. Before her fingers could take purchase, the air bender grabbed her hand to push it away. And as their hands fell, their fingers naturally laced together, as if that was where they were always meant to be. Both girls noticed; neither pulled away. </p><p>*****</p><p>Getting into the stadium was easy once they told the security person that they were guests of Handong. None of the other women understood how Handong had all these connections, but at this point they were too afraid to ask. As they walked to their seats, seemingly unaware that they were still hand-in-hand (they were both very aware), they were not surprised to find that Handong managed to get them court-side, despite it being last minute.</p><p>"Hey guys," Yoohyeon greeted upon arrival, "These are great seats Handong; I owe you one." The red-haired woman waved her off as she and Jiu took their seats: Handong on the end, followed by Yubin, Yoohyeon, and Jiu rounding off their own four-person row.</p><p>Finally seated, the air bender took the time to marvel at the grandiose stadium. It was clear that some master earth benders had a hand in the architecture, considering the massive dome ceiling, layers of seating, and the intricate court that towered above a moat filled with water. Yoohyeon hoped she could find an earth bending master as skilled as the arena's creators to teach her.</p><p>She turned to her best friend to mention the idea, only to notice that the warrior was immersed in conversation with the woman to her right. That wasn't surprising; Yubin was a great conversationalist. What did come as a surprise was that the warrior had her arm draped over the other woman's shoulders. Only a few hours earlier, her friend had been stumbling after the confident red-head. Now here she was, reversing the roles, suavely resting her arm across the woman's shoulders. The air bender surged with pride for her friend.</p><p>With a smile on her face, she looked to her left, finding the black-haired baker chatting with a stranger in the row behind them; of course the woman would befriend a stranger instantly. Perhaps she was inspired by her friend's confidence, or it may have simply been Jiu's magnetic aura, but Yoohyeon felt the urge to wrap her arm around her crush as well.</p><p>Her arm never made it's way to Jiu's shoulders, however, because she was frozen by doubt. Sure, they held hands on the way here, but what if it was a platonic action in Jiu's mind? Could she have misread the signs? The last thing she wanted was to make the other girl uncomfortable on their first date-- was this even a date?</p><p>Before the Avatar's insecurities spiraled further, a loudspeaker announced the arrival of the first competitor, drawing everyone's attention to the court. Coming in from the far side of the arena was the challenger, an apparent fire bender named Yeri, who was greeted by a handful of enthusiastic cheers. The woman had a quietly burning presence that made her, despite her small size, intimidating. While Yeri warmed up with a few, quick fire-producing punches and kicks, the announcer introduced the other opponent, known as Queen Sua. Given the eruption of ear-rattling roars, the defending champion was a crowd favorite. </p><p>Like Yeri, the defending champion was a short woman, perhaps even shorter than the challenger. However, even from where Yoohyeon was sitting, it was obvious that she was built entirely of refined muscle. As the Avatar’s eyes raked, respectfully, down Queen Sua’s figure, she was oblivious to Jiu, who was observing her actions. Soon enough, the announcer signified the beginning of the match and Yeri came out with a strong showing of fiery strikes. She had never seen fire bending in practice before, so the Avatar was audibly impressed, as noted by the <em>woahs</em> heard under her breath. </p><p>Jiu was not the jealous type, really, and she would not consider what she felt at the moment jealousy. There was just <em>something</em> about the way the silver-haired girl’s eyes sparkled when she watched the mediocre (Jiu’s word-choice) fire bending that rubbed her the wrong way. <em>I can do better than that,</em> came her bitter thought. She must have been glaring daggers into the pro fire bender’s head when a piece of popcorn hit her between the eyes. She turned to find the source: Handong, who had a lone eyebrow raised at her. Handong’s perceptiveness could be bothersome at times like this; the baker knew she was acting irrationally, but she couldn’t help the silent rage bubbling inside. She merely shook her head at Handong, indicating for her to let it go.</p><p>When the defending champion stomped the ground with her right foot, then kicked out with her left, sending a hurtling chunk of rock at the fire bender, the Avatar’s interest immediately spiked, as did the baker’s growing resentment. To manipulate monumental chunks of earth with the type of meticulous finesse Queen Sua had been demonstrating was remarkable to <em>almost</em> every spectator. Without so much as breaking a sweat, the earth bender had pushed the fire bender back, leaving mere meters between her and the drop to the water below. The way Yoohyeon’s awestruck eyes were glued to the pro-bender left Jiu fuming, yet the air bender was too oblivious to notice. She leaned over to whisper excitedly to Yubin: “I need HER to teach me earth bending,” to which the Kyoshi warrior nodded in agreement. </p><p>“We’ll have to try and meet her after the match,” she whispered back to the Avatar, before turning to resume her discussion with Handong. </p><p>As the fight progressed, Yoohyeon could not contain her enthusiasm. “She’s AMAZING!” Yoohyeon exclaimed in wonder. Beside her, the black-haired woman crossed her arms over her chest.</p><p>“She’s really not that great,” she huffed. To her right, the silver-haired girl did not spare her a second glance. </p><p>“How can you say that? She’s the best earth bender I’ve ever seen,” the air bender announced confidently. </p><p>“I just don’t think she’s anything special, is all,” Jiu replied. The Avatar scoffed at her statement, which was her first mistake. </p><p>“You wouldn’t understand; you have to be a bender to recognize good bending,” she said dismissively to the dark-haired woman: her second mistake. Usually, the empathetic Yoohyeon was not the type to hurt one’s feelings. Unfortunately, she was fully preoccupied by the pro-bending match, leaving none of her attention for Jiu, who was now furious.</p><p>“Excuse me? Are you implying that I’m too stupid to know about good bending?” Jiu snapped, finally getting Yoohyeon’s attention, “Because that is exactly what it sounds like.”</p><p>It was at that moment that Yoohyeon knew she had said the wrong thing. “Wait, that’s not what I meant,” she hurriedly replied, beginning to panic at the look of fury on the baker’s face.</p><p>“Then what the fuck did you mean?” Jiu bit back. Internally, the silver-haired woman was frantically trying to find the correct words to both explain herself better and apologize. Although, she did not have much time to think before a splash sounded throughout the stadium, indicating the fall of Yeri. The crowd erupted into cheers, dragging Yoohyeon’s eyes back to the triumphant, Queen Sua. Soon, spectators began to rise from their seats and file out of the building. To her right, Yubin spoke.</p><p>“Come on, Yooh. Handong said she can get us outside of the locker room where the athletes are; we’ll be able to meet Queen Sua. Let’s go,” the warrior explained without waiting for a reply. With this opportunity, Yoohyeon was faced with a choice: stay in her seat to focus on working things out with Jiu or go meet who could end up being her earth bending teacher. It was a decision between her head and her heart; her potential relationship versus her role as the Avatar. </p><p>In desperation, she reached over and grabbed Jiu’s hand, leading her out of their seats to follow Yubin and Handong. It was a risky move, Yoohyeon knew; she anticipated a slap in response, or worse. But the baker seemed to be shocked by the bold gesture, because she followed along without protest. The environment inside the stadium was too loud for them to have a proper conversation, so all Yoohyeon could do was clutch the other woman and hope she would trust her to make things right.</p><p>*****</p><p>Jiu didn’t know why she let the taller girl drag her along, yet her feet seemed to move without the input of her mind. Before she knew it, they were outside the entrance of the locker room, which Handong had somehow gotten them access to once again; the air bender had let go of her arm upon arrival, gambling that the baker would stay.  “Thank you for this Handong; I really appreciate it!” Yoohyeon praised the red-haired girl. </p><p>“Yeah, thanks <em>so much,</em>” Jiu added sarcastically. Yoohyeon turned to her now.</p><p>“Can you stop, please?” the air bender asked with pleading eyes.</p><p>“What? Are non-benders not allowed to speak anymore either?” Jiu mocked. She didn’t know why she was being so hard on the other woman for making an off-handed remark. Maybe she was angry on behalf of all the non-benders who had been slighted by their bender counterparts in the past. The subconscious jealousy of seeing Yoohyeon fawn over a woman other than herself surely had nothing to do with it. It would have been easier to just let it go, especially with the soft look the silver-haired girl was giving her, yet she held her ground.</p><p>“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Yoohyeon began, “And I’m sorr--” <br/>Then the locker room door swung open to reveal Queen Sua herself, turning all heads in her direction. To her credit, the earth bender did not seem to be surprised to find fans waiting for her; it must be a common occurrence. </p><p>“Hello ladies; did you need me?” greeted the pro-bender smoothly. Yoohyeon, unsurprisingly, was the first to respond. </p><p>“YES!” she replied a little too eagerly, causing the earth bender to chuckle. “I mean: hi, I’m Yoohyeon and I watched your match; you were incredible,” she continued quickly. </p><p>“Thanks, darling,” Sua responded with a wink at the much taller woman. There seemed to be a muttered <em>For fuck’s sake</em> that came from Jiu’s direction, though it might have been the wind. </p><p>“Ha-ha anyways, if you’re not too busy, I was wondering if you could show me your earth bending sometime?” the Avatar asked hopefully. Sua wore a charming hybrid between a smile and a smirk when she reached out to touch Yoohyeon’s arm. </p><p>“I can show you a lot more than just my earth bending, baby,” she flirted shamelessly, and, surprising no one, Yoohyeon giggled and blushed vigorously. This time Jiu groaned, loud enough for the other women to finally notice her simmering figure in the corner. </p><p>“Do you really have to rely on using your bending to coerce your fans into a date?” Jiu asked, finally speaking up. She had intended her question to shame the shorter woman, yet Sua was entirely unbothered, sending Jiu a dazzling smile. </p><p>“Oh, sweetheart, there is no need to be jealous,” she stated. Now it was the baker’s turn to blush.</p><p>“What? Huh? No, I’m not--” she stuttered before Sua spoke again.</p><p>“There is enough of me to go around,” she assured, causing Jiu to laugh this time. The baker’s reply was on the tip of her tongue when Sua’s eyes had wandered to the other women in the room, landing on the taller one with crimson-hair. “Holy shit, it’s <em>you</em>!” the pro-bender gasped. </p><p>“Fancy seeing you here,” Handong replied, “I hardly recognized you fully-clothed.” The sound of Yubin choking on her own saliva was the only thing to be heard over the others’ surprised gasps. Once over her initial surprise, Sua was back to turning on her charm. </p><p>“You’re always welcome to get reacquainted, honey,” she flirted, before Yoohyeon finally tried to regain control of the situation.</p><p>“ANYWAY! I really just want to see your earth bending up close, to, uh, admire your technique, so if it wouldn’t be too much trouble…?” the Avatar asked again. Sua finally focused on her once more.</p><p>“Sure, cutie. Meet me here tomorrow afternoon, okay?” Sua offered, to which Yoohyeon nodded. “Perfect, see you then. Have a good night, ladies.” And with that she left the four friends behind, blowing them all kisses, respectively. After a few beats of silence, as they all processed the encounter, Handong spoke up. </p><p>“See, that’s why I gagged her last time,” she stated simply. It only took a moment for all of the women to burst into laughter, easing away the night’s tension and leaving Yoohyeon feeling satisfied in her first step toward mastering her second element as the Avatar.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Intro to Earth Bending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yoohyeon apologizes to Jiu in the most Yoohyeon way possible. She then tries to learn about earth bending, without admitting she's the Avatar, so it doesn't go as smoothly as one would hope. Her obliviousness gets her in trouble throughout the chapter, but it's difficult to stay upset with the world's biggest baby.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone! Thank you for coming back to read this story! Sorry for the delay; life has been very busy. I was just offered a full-time job today which is very exciting. I have every intention of sticking with this story, no matter how long it takes. So please be patient with me :) I appreciate you all; hopefully it was worth the wait. Stay tuned for more and feel free to comment. Thank you!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When they left the arena that night, the four women split off into pairs, with Yubin and Handong heading in one direction (Handong mentioned something about “making it up to Yubin”), leaving behind Jiu and Yoohyeon, and their unresolved tension. Awkward silence settled over them, yet neither made a move to leave, which Yoohyeon took as a hopeful sign. The air bender cleared her throat, drawing Jiu's attention away from her own cuticles, which had apparently been fascinating, back to Yoohyeon. "I really am sorry," hesitantly began the Avatar. She waited, gauging Jiu's response.</p><p>The baker raised her eyebrows expectantly and said, "Keep going."</p><p>"Ah, of course," Yoohyeon said hurriedly, "I'm sorry for speaking so dismissively earlier. That was insensitive of me and rude. I hate that I made you feel stupid, because that is the LAST thing I think about you." Jiu could tell how sincere Yoohyeon was being: the way she ran her hand through her silvery hair in frustration; the puffed up cheeks and furrowed brows. The baker wanted to cup them in her hands, but she settled for taking a step closer instead.</p><p>"So what <em>do</em> you think about me?" she asked, quietly, close enough for Yoohyeon to hear her without raising her voice. The Avatar looked into the baker's deep eyes with her own emotional ones. In a moment of bravery, she reached for the other woman's hands, holding them in her own, gently.</p><p>"I think you're <em>stunning</em>," she admitted with a surge of confidence, "And you are so sweet; no wonder why you're a baker. You're just kind and charming; I barely know you, yet I’m drawn to you in this inexplicable way. And <em>of course</em> you’re smart; I think you’re brilliant, even. And--” It is difficult to know for how long Yoohyeon’s confession/ramble would have continued. Thankfully, Jiu had heard enough, more than enough, even, before she leaned in to press her lips to the other woman’s. </p><p>When Yoohyeon said that thoughtless remark earlier in the evening, she never imagined that her night would end with her kissing the same girl she had offended. Yet, here she was, moving her lips sweetly against the baker’s. The Avatar was not the best with words, as proven by her constant state of foot-in-mouth, but she had been prepared to vocalize all of her feelings to Jiu. Now, she didn’t have to use words: she used her lips instead, pouring her affection into each movement, caressing Jiu’s lips between her own. </p><p>As for Jiu, she could hardly believe that her crush had been standing in front of her, holding her hands, saying all the things she dreamed of hearing since she first realized she liked her in more than a platonic way. When she heard all of those affectionate words, her response could only be conveyed through a kiss. Was it bold for her to kiss this woman after not knowing her for long? According to traditional courting etiquette: yes; Princess Minji would never be able to do such a thing without it being labeled a scandal, bringing shame upon the entire royal family. But she was Jiu now, the common Earth Kingdom baker, and Jiu kissed the woman with all the fondness that had quickly taken root in her heart, ever since the day she stuck out her cake-covered hand in greeting. And if a soft moan spilled from her mouth as Yoohyeon sucked one of her lips between her own, there was no looming, royal etiquette to stop her. </p><p>The two had no intentions of pulling apart; if they had unlimited breath, they would still be there, kissing on the street, to this day. Sadly, even the air bender needed to breathe eventually, so she finally dragged her lips away, only to rest her forehead against the other woman’s, crowding the minimal space between them with humid attempts to refill their lungs. It took a few moments before either girl opened her eyes. When they did, they were able to see the same emotions from the kiss, shared in each other’s eyes. In that instance, they didn’t need any words, only each other’s hands to intertwine as they began their stroll home in comfortable silence. </p><p>*****</p><p>The following day, Yoohyeon found herself back at the pro-bending stadium, sitting in the middle of the court, waiting for the earth bender to arrive. A yawn escaped her while she waited; she hardly slept last night, replaying the incredible kiss over and over, pinching herself periodically to make sure she had not dreamt it. And while the kiss itself was everything she wanted, the two parted ways last night with only a wave farewell. By the time Yoohyeon finally laid in bed, she had questioned every possible meaning behind the kiss. Even though the kiss was amazing and felt so full of emotion, the air bender was left with doubt. They did not discuss what the kiss <em>meant</em> for them, if it meant anything at all. For Yoohyeon, it meant a lot; it meant everything, but she could not be sure that Jiu felt the same. </p><p>“Don’t think too hard, sweetheart, you’ll hurt your pretty little head,” called the sudden voice of Sua, pulling the air bender from her thoughts. </p><p>“Oh, hi; I was just waiting for you. I didn’t hear you come in,” Yoohyeon admitted. The earth bender walked over toward her, tossing her bag down. </p><p>“Yeah, I could tell; you’re clearly thinking hard about something,” she declared, before knocking on Yoohyeon’s head and asking, “What’s going on in there?”</p><p>“It’s nothing, just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” the air bender shared, earning a devilish grin from the other woman.</p><p>“Did someone keep you up all night?” she asked mischievously. Yoohyeon blushed at the insinuation, hugging herself bashfully.</p><p>“No! Not like that. I just was thinking a lot,” the air bender answered. Sua was stretching now, as she prepared for her bending demonstration. And if she wore her crop top and booty shorts with intention, so what? She knew she had a killer body, and she wasn’t about to hide it especially not in the presence of a beautiful woman like Yoohyeon.</p><p>“Were you thinking about your boyfriend?” she asked the silver-haired girl, testingly. The instant disgust on Yoohyeon’s face was enough to make Sua smile. </p><p>“Ew, no. I’m not really attracted to men,” Yoohyeon assured her. This knowledge did put a smile on the earth bender’s face and she bent down in a stretch to touch her toes, giving the other woman a view, if she wanted to look. After a moment, Sua picked her head up to check, and to Yoohyeon’s credit, she was looking everywhere but the earth bender.</p><p>“So you were thinking about your girlfriend then?” she instigated again, causing Yoohyeon to frown this time, though not in disgust, but rather disappointment, it seemed. </p><p>“No, I don’t have one,” the air bender admitted, sounding sad. Sua took that as her cue to turn on the charms. Starting with one of her best assets: she stretched into a split. </p><p>Yoohyeon had a crush on Jiu, with genuine feelings and everything, but she was also a sapphic woman, with eyes. And Sua was a very beautiful woman, so perhaps the air bender’s eyes lingered a bit on the muscles of her thighs that were flexing during the split. She may be the Avatar, however, she is an admirer of the female form, first and foremost. Feeling the other woman’s eyes on her gave Sua’s ego a boost it did not need, yet a boost nonetheless. Rising from her split, and swaying her hips a little more than necessary as she moved to the middle of the court, calling to Yoohyeon over her shoulder: “Shall we get started?” Yoohyeon nodded before following obediently to the center. “So what exactly did you want me to do again? Just show you some moves? Are you an earth bender?” Sua asked. </p><p>Maybe if Yoohyeon hadn’t spent all night processing the kiss between her and Jiu, she would have thought of some answers for these reasonable questions, yet here she was, having to scramble. “Oh, um, I’m not really an earth bender. I was just really impressed with your skills and wanted to see them better up close,” she settled on lamely. Sua did not entirely buy that answer, but she was not the type to pry. If a gorgeous woman was interested in watching her earth bend, who was she to deprive her of that? </p><p>“Okay babe, keep your eyes on me,” the earth bender instructed the other woman with a wink. With that, Sua stomped the ground with her left foot, dislodging a block of earth from the ground and pushing her arms sharply forward to launch the cube across the arena. It was a basic move really, yet it left the air bender awestruck nonetheless. </p><p>“How did you do that?” Yoohyeon asked with shining eyes. Sua grinned at her enthusiasm.</p><p>“Come get a closer look,” the pro-bender said, then drew her arms in with a strong movement that shifted the ground beneath Yoohyeon, physically sliding her over to Sua’s side. Before Yoohyeon’s shock could set in about the floor moving beneath her, the earth bender was pulling her to her feet. She was close enough now to see how each muscle rippled with the pro-bender’s every movement. “First, you plant your foot,” she explained, firmly hammering her foot into the ground, “like so.” The Avatar watched the movement keenly, taking detailed mental notes so that she could try the movement later in private. “Then, push your hands out,” she added, thrusting out her hands to demonstrate. It seemed simple enough; the Avatar wished she could try it out, but she barely knew Sua and did not know if she could trust her with her identity yet. In the meantime, she would ask as many questions as possible. </p><p>“Is the timing of the moves important? Do they have to be quick or do slow movements work just as well? How much force do you need to use?” the Avatar asked in rapid succession. For someone who claimed to be a mere admirer of the earth bender’s techniques, these were oddly specific questions for her to ask, yet Yoohyeon didn’t think that through and Sua didn’t seem to mind. </p><p>“Come here,” Sua instructed. Once the silver-haired girl was close enough behind her, the earth bender grabbed her hands and placed them on her own body: one on the side of her left thigh and one on her right arm. Before Yoohyeon could utter her panicked words, Sua spoke again: “Just hold on and you’ll feel exactly what it’s supposed to be like.” With that, the earth bender recreated the same movements, like the thousands of times she had done before, except this time she exaggerated them so that the other woman could feel the way her muscles moved. By the end of the action, and because of the height difference, the taller woman was essentially back-hugging the pro-bender, who was more than content to be in such a position. “Did you feel it?” Sua asked, interrupting the tense silence. The sound of her voice finally made Yoohyeon remove her hands from the other woman’s body.</p><p>“Uh, yeah, I definitely felt it; thanks,” she answered with rosy cheeks and shy eyes. </p><p>“No problem, cutie,” Sua responded, enjoying the reaction from the taller woman more than she would care to admit. “Let me show you what else I can do.”</p><p>The rest of the session proceeded similarly with hands-on lessons for the silver-haired girl, who took detailed, mental notes, despite her constant flustered state. After a few hours, the girls mutually agreed to call it quits for the day and meet up again not tomorrow, but the following day. They bid their farewells and parted ways, though not before Sua rose the earth beneath her so that her lips were the level of Yoohyeon’s cheek, leaving a kiss there as a goodbye. And if the Avatar had not been so immersed in her thoughts, which focused on how she would try to replicate the earth bender’s movements later that evening, perhaps she would have blushed from the gesture. </p><p>*****</p><p>Her plan to practice earth bending based solely on the memory of the pro-bender’s motions from hours earlier had not been going well. She spent the entire evening alone, in an open area on the outskirts of the city, trying to recreate all of the movements she had witnessed that afternoon. While she <em>thought</em> she had gotten the techniques down, the stubbornly stationary ground seemed to disagree. Frustrated, she kicked a few pebbles, which were the only pieces of earth that seemed to be willing to move that night, causing her to laugh bitterly. She didn’t know what she was doing wrong, yet she had no one to ask for help. Mastering all of the elements was not going to be easy, she knew, but the fact that she already seemed to be struggling was rather discouraging. Gathering her belongings with a sigh, she decided to head home, hoping that a good night’s sleep would clear her head.</p><p>Only, Yoohyeon was not granted a good night’s sleep. Instead, she dreamed about kissing Jiu. Jiu, even in the dream, was warm, soft, sweet; her lips moved so perfectly against Yoohyeon’s, it almost <em>hurt.</em> And then, it did hurt, like a slap to the face. No, it WAS a slap to the face. Dream Jiu had slapped her, then she was yelling at her for kissing her. “How could you do that? After I trusted you! I can’t believe you would do something like this; does our friendship mean nothing to you?” Another slap: this one felt so real that the Avatar woke up with a stinging cheek. Her hand flew to her face, holding the area that <em>really</em> felt as if she had been slapped. It was then that she noticed Yubin leaning over her, anger on her face with her hand floating above the Avatar’s face in post-slap position. </p><p>“Wha--” Yoohyeon muttered in a confused daze.</p><p>“Don’t play innocent; I know you ate the last of the Panda-Pig Puffs! That’s my favorite cereal and you left the EMPTY BOX in the cupboard,” the warrior scolded in dire seriousness. “So, like I just said: How could you do that? After I trusted you! I can’t believe you would do something like this; does our friendship mean nothing to you?” Despite being shouted at, and evidently slapped by her best-friend-turned-roommate, Yoohyeon still couldn’t help the feeling of relief that washed over her. Somehow, knowing that it was not Dream Jiu that had slapped her and said those things was enough to soothe the stinging in her cheek. The feeling passed quickly, however, when she was reminded of the hangry Kyoshi warrior glaring at her. The Avatar quickly held her hands up in surrender. </p><p>“Okay, okay I’m sorry. That’s my bad. Why don’t I go get us some pastries from the bakery for breakfast to make up for it?” Yoohyeon suggested as a peace-offering. To this, Yubin rolled her eyes and sighed.</p><p>“I know you are only looking for an excuse to see your crush, but as long as you bring me back baked goods, I can’t bring myself to care,” the warrior admitted, “If you’re gone for more than an hour though, I will kick your ass.”</p><p>“I don’t doubt it; I’ll be quick!” Yoohyeon promised, jumping out of bed, getting ready in a blur, and heading out. </p><p>*****</p><p>Soon enough, the silver-haired girl was pushing through the doors of <em>Bunny-Dog Bakery,</em> anxiety and excitement dancing in her mind. Yet, as soon as her eyes met Jiu’s from across the room, all she felt was calm. “Good morning,” she greeted the baker.</p><p>“Hi, Yooh,” Jiu answered, with a signature, beaming smile, which Yoohyeon reflexively mirrored.</p><p>“How are you?” she asked the baker, expecting a reply. Which, she did receive, though not from the dark-haired woman.</p><p>“Me? I’m great, thanks for asking,” answered Handong sarcastically from her usual seat at the counter. </p><p>“Oh! Hi, Handong,” she replied sheepishly, “I’m glad you’re doing well.”</p><p>“Oh please, I know you’re just here to make heart eyes at Jiu,” the red-haired woman said bluntly, without giving Yoohyeon a chance to protest before continuing, “Where’s Yubin?”</p><p>“I’m actually here to pick up some pastries for breakfast. Apparently I left an empty cereal box in the cupboard and Yubin had some choice words about it. So if I don’t return with baked goods, she <em>will</em> rip me limb from limb,” Yoohyeon explained. The other women gasped in shock, after hearing about Yoohyeon’s crime. </p><p>“What are you, an animal? Who does that?” Handong roasted her. </p><p>“It was an accident!” Yoohyeon yelped, turning to Jiu for help. The baker only wore a frown on her face, though.</p><p>“Don’t look at me; you dug your own grave on this one,” she stated, “But I will help you pick out pastries to try and fix it.” Yoohyeon flashed her a grateful smile.</p><p>“Oh, and I have something for Yubin. It’s upstairs; let me go grab it,” Handong announced, before heading up to Jiu’s apartment, which she considered her second-home, above the bakery. Well, for Handong, it was more like her thirty-first home, considering how many luxury homes she had around the world, though that detail was unimportant. </p><p>With Handong gone, at least for the moment, Yoohyeon finally worked up the courage to discuss the kiss. She needed to know what it meant before she lost yet another night of sleep over it. The hopeful look Jiu was giving her right now was encouraging enough for her to find her voice. “So, um, about the other night, wha--”</p><p>The chiming of the bakery door wasn’t enough to interrupt Yoohyeon, yet the loud, familiar voice that came with it definitely was. “This has to be the cutest bakery I have ever been in; why have I never been here befo-- IS THAT YOOHYEON? HEY!” Sua called from her place in the entryway. </p><p>“Hi, Sua,” Yoohyeon greeted at a much more reasonable volume than the shorter woman. </p><p>“I can’t believe I ran into you; you can’t stay away from me, huh?” Sua flirted, with a signature wink. Yoohyeon blushed at this, but in her defense, she would blush if anyone flirted with her as shamelessly as Sua did. Unfortunately, her blush did nothing to appease the baker, who was now standing with her arms crossed over her baby-pink apron: the picture of intimidation. It was then that Sua seemed to notice Jiu, only after her eyes were done checking out the silver-haired woman. “Oh, hey! We met the other night, too. Jen, is it?” the earth bender asked genuinely.</p><p>“It isn’t,” the baker replied shortly, not planning to elaborate. Sua laughed at this, unbothered.</p><p>“Well, anyway, cute bakery!” the earth bender complimented. Jiu only grumbled something about getting something from the back before pushing through the doors to the kitchen. One could speculate that she would return with a knife. </p><p>Oblivious to it all, Yoohyeon took the opportunity to probe Sua more about earth bending. “So, about those techniques you showed me yesterday. I was wondering if we could discuss them more? I know we aren’t supposed to meet again until tomorrow, but since you’re here…” the Avatar asked timidly, causing Sua to pinch one of her cute cheeks.</p><p>“You’re so cute! I’ll tell you what: why don’t you come over for dinner and I’ll show you <em>all</em> the moves you want,” she said richly, placing her hand on the other woman’s upper arm and dragging it down as she spoke, hoping to make her intentions clear. </p><p>Excited for another learning opportunity, Yoohyeon happily accepted the invitation. “That sounds great; thank you,” she agreed. </p><p>“Let me write down my address,” Sua said while leaning around Yoohyeon, unnecessarily, or perhaps necessarily in her mind, pressing her body against the taller woman as she reached for a napkin and a pen. It was at this moment, of course, that Jiu had returned from the kitchen with a neatly tied box filled with baked goods in one hand, and a knife in the other. Seeing Sua pressed against the tall woman as she wrote on the napkin surely had nothing to do with the way Jiu harshly impaled the nearest cutting board with her knife, causing Yoohyeon to jump. </p><p>Once finished writing, Sua pressed the napkin into Yoohyeon’s hand, kissed her cheek again, and told her she looked forward to seeing her later, before exiting the bakery. Her small figure was followed out by the daggers Jiu threw with her eyes.</p><p>Unaware of the tension, as usual, Yoohyeon turned back to the display case of sweets. “So, what do you think I should bring back for Yubin?” she asked the baker innocently. </p><p>“Here,” Jiu replied shortly, shoving the box in her hand toward Yoohyeon, “I made you guys a box.” The Avatar’s eyes lit up at the sweet gesture.</p><p>“Wow, thank you; you’re really the sweetest,” she complimented the baker, who softened a bit, despite her grumpiness from seeing the earth bender throw herself at the taller woman so shamelessly. Jiu scolded herself for her feelings, which she speculated were jealousy: but how did she have the right to be jealous over a girl who was not hers? Sure, they shared a kiss. An incredible, deep, passionate kiss, but they didn’t mean they were together, right? Maybe she should ask and now was as good of a time as ever. “Yoohyeon,” she said, getting the woman’s attention.</p><p>“Yes?” the Avatar asked, curiously.</p><p>“What are w--” Then there came that stupid, fucking door-chime again; Jiu was this close to bashing it to pieces. </p><p>“Here it is,” Handong announced as she strode into the bakery, interrupting what seemed to be the most elusive conversation of the century. The red-haired woman was holding a beautiful, gold envelope, secured with a red, wax seal. “Please give this to Yubin,” she said, handing the envelope to Yoohyeon, who nodded. There was a moment or two where the three of them were standing there awkwardly, before Handong asked: “Did I interrupt something?” Both Jiu and Yoohyeon shook their heads, which Handong knew meant the opposite, although she wouldn’t pry at this time.</p><p>“Anyway, I have to get back to Yubin before she lights my bed on fire, again,” Yoohyeon announced. “I’ll see you soon?” she added, addressing Jiu specifically, who nodded in response. “Okay, cool. Bye, guys. Thanks again for the sweets, sweetie!” Yoohyeon called on her way out, not noticing the pet name that had slipped from her lips.</p><p>Once the Avatar was gone, Handong wasted no time in laughing at the blushing Jiu.</p><p>“Sw-sw-sweetie,” the red-haired woman choked out through her laughter. And the baker let her have her fun, for a while. Although, the assassin finally shut up when a cherry pie was smashed right into her face. For a moment, she was shocked; she used both hands to wipe the cherry goo from her eyes. But after she got a taste of the pie that dripped into her open mouth, she merely shrugged. “You know what, I deserved that. And I’m not even mad, this is delicious,” she stated, causing the two women to laugh like only best friends could.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Different Pages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yubin hears about Yoohyeon's plans for the evening and is certain her friend has the wrong idea, though the stubborn Avatar disagrees. At the bakery, Handong helps Jiu overcome her moments of doubt. Then, Yoohyeon meets up with Sua to practice earth bending, or so she thought.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! Thank you for your incredible patience and actually coming back to read. I really couldn't find the motivation to write this chapter and a bunch of crazy life events kept getting in the way. But it's finally FINALLY finished, so thank you for waiting. I promise I won't abandon this fic even if it kills me, it just might take a while. Anyway this chapter isn't my favorite, though it's not as bad as I thought when I reread it. In any case, it was necessary for the plot. So enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Yoohyeon returned to her shared apartment, Yubin attacked the box of pastries like a feral animal. If the Avatar hadn't removed the envelope from Handong first, the warrior may have eaten that, too.</p><p>"See, you should be glad I ate the last of the cereal, ha-ha," Yoohyeon joked, earning the most lethal glare from Yubin. A glare that was pretty comical matched with crumbs around her mouth and cheeks stuffed with cream puffs. Yoohyeon raised her hands in surrender. "Too soon, I guess."</p><p>Only once Yubin had her fill of baked goods, as signified by her contented sigh, did Yoohyeon finally get to pick on what was left. "What's that?" Yubin asked, noticing the envelope on the table.</p><p>"Oh, Handong gave me this for you," the Avatar answered, sliding the envelope across the table to the other woman. While taking a sip from her mug of tea, Yubin opened and began to read the letter. Apparently, this was a mistake because whatever was written in the letter caused the warrior to immediately start choking. From where Yoohyeon was sitting across the table, she had only seen her friend's eyes spring open before she struggled to swallow her drink. After Yubin sputtered and gasped for breath for a few moments too long, the air bender decided to help her out: flicking her wrist, she used her bending to restore the warrior's breathing pattern.</p><p>“What was that about?” Yoohyeon questioned, resulting in Yubin slapping the letter protectively against her chest. </p><p>“NOTHING!” Yubin exclaimed in haste. Yoohyeon squinted her eyes at her friend, suspiciously. </p><p>“Okay…” said the Avatar, fully prepared to let it go. </p><p>"It's not a nude!" Yubin declared suddenly. Yoohyeon's eyebrows raised at this seemingly unprompted exclamation. The Avatar had never seen her friend so flustered in the many years she had known her, so she couldn't bring herself to tease her for this apparent "not" nude. At least, not at the moment; she certainly stored the information in her brain for later teasing material.</p><p>"Well, enough about your nude--" Yoohyeon began.</p><p>"It's NOT!" Yubin sputtered.</p><p>"ANYWAY," Yoohyeon continued, bringing the conversation back to her, "I ran into Sua at the bakery; we made plans for later."</p><p>"Oh cool, what are you guys doing?" Yubin inquired.</p><p>"Well, she invited me over to her place--" the Avatar began again before the warrior interrupted her.</p><p><em>"Oh?"</em> asked Yubin with interest.</p><p>"Not like that," the air bender corrected, swatting the warrior's arm, "It's strictly professional." </p><p>"Is that what she said?" Yubin wanted to know.</p><p>"Of course. She said come over for dinner and she'll show me all the moves I want,” the silver-haired girl explained. Had her reflexes been slower, the teacup that the warrior threw at her would have clocked her in the head. Nevertheless, she was the Avatar, so she had swung her arm in time to send a gust of air to divert the trajectory of the cup away from her head. "What was that for?" she asked in bewilderment.</p><p>Yubin shook her head and scoffed. "Are you that dense? This is a date," she told the taller woman.</p><p>Yoohyeon looked bewildered when she answered next. "Huh? No, no. I can see how you would be confused, but she was talking about earth bending moves," she assured the warrior. Yubin could only sigh, unwilling to insist on the obvious when Yoohyeon was intent on not seeing. </p><p>"Whatever you say, buddy, yet when she inevitably makes a move on you, you owe me a pizza," the warrior declared. Yoohyeon agreed to the bet, waving dismissively as she did, confident that she would not find herself in that situation. Finishing off her breakfast pastries, she rose from the table.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, I was just telling you so that you would know I'll be out late tonight in case you wanted to use the apartment for whatever it is Handong put in that letter," the Avatar teased, earning an embarrassed screech from the other woman. The taller woman quickly dashed out the door, on her way to try and practice earth bending again before meeting Sua later, leaving before Yubin could send another ordinary-object-turned-projectile her way.</p><p>*****</p><p>Back at the bakery, Jiu was restocking the display cases, while Handong sat, working on some documents with Cherry sleeping peacefully in her lap. As the baker closed the now replenished display case, she released an involuntary sigh. Without looking up from her papers, Handong addressed her. "What's wrong?" the red-haired woman asked. </p><p>"Oh, it's silly; don't worry about it," Jiu dismissed. Handong was not deterred. Honing her piercing gaze on the dark-haired woman now, she prompted her to continue. </p><p>“I’m sure it’s not since it has been bothering you all day. Maybe talking about it will help?” she encouraged. Jiu was hesitant to share what was on her mind; she had years of bottling up her feelings during her royal life to thank for that. But something about Handong’s presence, albeit intimidating, comforted her enough to open up.  </p><p>“It's just… I kissed Yoohyeon the other night," Jiu recalled. If Handong was surprised (she wasn't), her face did not show it, remaining as stoic as usual. The baker took the lack of response as a sign to continue. "And it was everything I hoped it would be: sweet; passionate. And you wouldn't guess by looking at her, but she did this thing with her tongu--" Handong held up a hand to interrupt her.</p><p>"I'm going to stop you right there. It sounds like it went well; what's the problem then?" asked the red-haired woman.</p><p>"Well, we walked home together after and it was so <em>nice,</em> we held hands and it felt right, you know? Except, when we went to part ways, that's all we did," Jiu described, "I thought that things would change for us after that, yet the next time we saw each other, we acted like nothing happened," she admitted wistfully. To this Handong rolled her eyes nearly out of her head.</p><p>"So what I'm hearing is that you're both idiots," the red-haired woman declared. Even after their years of friendships, Jiu was still surprised by the woman's bluntness at times like now. Once she recovered from being called out, she was able to reply. </p><p>"What if it was just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing? What if it was only meant to happen once, to get it out of our systems?" theorized the baker. While Handong really wanted to grasp the girl's shoulder and shake her until some sense settled into her, she knew that wasn't the best choice. Instead, she chose to present the evidence as logically as possible. </p><p>"She confessed to you. You both kissed, with vigor, apparently. Then you walked home hand-in-hand. What is not sinking in for you?” she recalled. For a moment, Jiu processed her words; as usual, Handong made some pretty strong points: those events did seem to be more romantic than platonic in nature. Still, Jiu couldn’t shake a feeling of doubt.</p><p>“I’m scared,” she blurted out, surprising both Handong, as well as herself. </p><p>“Of Yoohyeon? She’s a giant, clumsy baby; I don’t think you need to be scared of her, sweetie," she assured the baker. Jiu rolled her eyes at the other woman's highly accurate description of the air bender.</p><p>"I'm not scared of <em>her;</em> I've just never felt this sort of connection to someone before. People have only ever been interested in me for my last name, my title as heir to the throne. So, I've never let myself become close with someone like this. What if I mess it all up?" she elaborated, before quietly adding, "What if I hurt her?" It was then that Handong realized that the other woman was not merely a clueless sapphic. Thus, she reached out her hand to take other’s in a comforting gesture. </p><p>"I know you're scared, honey, especially given your past circumstances. But remember that Yoohyeon doesn't know you as Minji-the-fire-nation-princess: she only knows you as Jiu, the genuine and lovable woman. And I know you're worried about hurting her, although you should try and give her some credit. She's a big girl; I'm sure she's not that fragile. If your heart is in the right place and you communicate, I think you can turn this into something beautiful," the ever-wise Handong assured her. Jiu had always felt emotions very deeply, including now. Her eyes were shiny as she took Handong’s words to heart. She felt so fortunate to have this woman in her life.</p><p>With a nod, she said, "Okay, I'm going to try." Handong smiled at her, before Jiu added: "I'm glad I didn't kick your head off that day," and the duo laughed joyously.</p><p>*****</p><p>Later that evening, the Avatar found herself in the rising elevator of a swanky apartment building, ascending the many floors until they opened upon reaching the penthouse. Stepping out of the elevator, the silver-haired woman immediately recognized the wealth around her, from the building materials themselves, like the polished, marble floors, to the interior design choices, consisting of elaborately crafted chandeliers and luxury bouquets of fire lilies and water roses, surely imported from their respective nations. </p><p>The foyer was short, given that the entire floor was made up of the penthouse apartment, so with Yoohyeon's long legs, a few strides brought her to the earth bender's door. She never would have guessed that a pro-bender would make enough money to afford such an expensive penthouse; it made her consider getting into the sport herself. Checking the address Sua had written on the napkin from earlier one last time to confirm she was in the right spot, Yoohyeon knocked gently on the metal door. Moments later, it swung inward on its hinges, revealing any empty entryway. The Avatar had never been greeted by a door that opened by itself, so she was unsure of what to do in this situation. Luckily, the apartment owner’s voice was soon to greet her. “Come on in! I’m in the kitchen,” called the earth bender’s voice. </p><p>With permission granted, Yoohyeon made her way into the apartment, following the clanging of pots and pans until she arrived in the generous kitchen. Her eyes only had a few moments to admire the lavish amenities of the kitchen: restaurant-grade appliances, gilded, stone countertops, and an impressive collection of knives, that were surely handcrafted. Soon, her eyes found Sua’s, which were partially closed by her warm, greeting smile. </p><p>“Hi,” the taller-woman greeted the host. “Thank you for having me; this is a lovely apartment.I brought some pastries from the bakery,” she announced, handing over a neatly wrapped box. </p><p>“Thank you, you’re so sweet,” the pro-bender replied. “I’m glad you could make it. I’ve been looking forward to you coming tonight,” Sua responded with a smirk, though Yoohyeon couldn’t understand why. </p><p>“Uh, okay. By the way, how did the door open by itself?” asked the air bender curiously. Sua seemed amused by the question.</p><p>“Oh, I had it made from metal instead of wood so that I could use bending to manipulate it; it’s very convenient,” she described to the silver-haired woman, whose eyes opened wider in shining wonder at the explanation. </p><p>“You’re a metal bender?! That’s incredible; can you teach me how to do it, too?” the Avatar requested excitedly, only to be met with Sua’s confused expression. </p><p>“Um, I would love to, sweetheart, but didn’t you say you were an air bender? This is an extension of earth bending,” she disclosed to the taller woman, who was now blushing because of her slip-up. </p><p>“Oh, yeah, duh. I meant, could you show me what it looks like, up close?” the air bender tried, fumbling over her words, which Sua found endearing.</p><p>“You’re just dying to get me up close, huh?” the host said richly, with a glint in her eyes that went right over the other woman’s head, despite her great height. </p><p>“Well, yes, that’s the best way to see your techniques,” Yoohyeon said matter-of-factly.</p><p>“Then let’s enjoy dinner quickly so we can get to it,” suggested Sua with a wink, as she carried a pot of soup to the dining table, “I hope you’re prepared to eat.”</p><p>*****</p><p>Not to stroke her own ego, however, Sua knew she really was the whole package: looks, brains, brawn, money, AND she could cook. From the delighted slurping sounds the other woman was making, her soup seemed to be appreciated. Face flushed and content from the meal, the silver-haired woman set down her bowl; Sua took this as a sign to start clearing the table. As she began to gather the dishes, the taller woman appeared to snap out of her post meal haze, and rose from her seat to help. Between the two of them, clean-up was a breeze, literally: Yoohyeon used her air bending to blow dry the dishes. Upon finishing, Sua leaned against the counter, eyeing the other woman in a way that could only be described as greedy. </p><p>“Shall I show you my moves now?” Sua offered, to which Yoohyeon nodded eagerly. “Let’s go to the bedroom then.”</p><p>“The bedroom?” Yoohyeon asked in confusion. “Shouldn’t we do it outside, so we don’t break anything?” Sua’s eyebrows shot into her hairline at the nonchalance of the statement; she did not think Yoohyeon was that <em>adventurous,</em> though she wasn’t complaining. </p><p>“I like the way you think, baby,” the shorter woman said sulturily, stepping in close to Yoohyeon, “But let’s start in here,” she declared, to a confused Yoohyeon who was about to ask another question when Sua curled her arm up in a motion that caused the stone floor to raise beneath her feet. The air bender’s eyes were immediately captivated by the action, honing in on the heightened ground. </p><p>“Woah, can you show me--” Before the Avatar could finish her sentence, lips were pressing boldly against her own. </p><p>Sua knew she was a talented kisser; plenty of practice had helped her perfect her skills, and all of her previous partners had sung her praises. So when she felt no reciprocation from the other woman, she knew something was wrong, and quickly pulled away. “Are you okay?” she asked Yoohyeon with great concern. The tall girl was frozen in place, apparently too surprised to move. “Yoohyeon?” Sua questioned again. Another beat of silence.</p><p>“I’M THE AVATAR!” suddenly came the shout. Now it was Sua’s turn to be dumbfounded.</p><p>“Huh?” was all the earth bender could manage to say, which sent Yoohyeon into a verbal marathon.</p><p>“I am the Avatar, like, master of all elements? Yeah, that Avatar. Except I’m not a master of all elements. I’m kind of a master air bender, I guess, but that’s all I know. And I just found out I was the Avatar a few years ago? I think? I can’t remember how long ago, actually, but I came here to Omashu with Yubin, my best friend, she’s-great-I-love-her, to learn the other elements, and I saw you and I knew I had to have you,” the last phrasing caused Sua’s eyebrows to raise again, which made Yoohyeon blush vividly, “NO! Not like that! I had to have you <em>as a teacher.</em> I’m interested in your bending, not you. NOT THAT I COULDN’T BE INTERESTED IN YOU! I’m sure everyone is interested in you; you’re very attractive, obviously! I just--” Sua had heard enough to give her secondhand embarrassment at this point, so she took the initiative to press a silencing finger to Yoohyeon’s rampant mouth. </p><p>“Please, Yoohyeon, it’s totally okay. I’m sorry I misread the situation. I thought you were playing coy; apparently you really were that oblivious the whole time,” Sua mused. Yoohyeon considered protesting, briefly, before resigning with a huff when she realized the shorter woman was correct. “Why don’t we talk over dessert?” the host suggested, to which Yoohyeon happily agreed.</p><p>*****</p><p>The pair spent the next few hours nibbling on pastries and clarifying their histories. Yoohyeon explained, more coherently this time, how she was in fact the Avatar and that it was a secret, so for her own safety, she would really appreciate Sua’s secrecy. The earth bender looked at her kindly, comfortingly placing her tiny, calloused hand over Yoohyeon’s long, slender fingers that were resting on the table. “I won’t tell a soul; the last thing I would want to do is to put you in danger. And I know we don’t know each other well, but you can trust me. I’ll even tell you some of my secrets to prove it.” </p><p>With that statement, Sua explained that her name was actually Bora, and that she was the daughter of the prestigious and wealthy Kim family here in Omashu. Or at least, she was a member of the family, last time she checked. She moved out and had not been in touch with her family since they had a falling out, about which Bora did not disclose all of the details. Not wanting to be associated with a family that didn’t support her, Bora took on the persona of Sua, particularly Queen Sua, the pro-bender. “So, I’m doing just fine as Sua. I pro-bend for fun mostly, and because I get to meet a lot of interesting people. However, I make most of my money from owning a lot of real estate; I think I am up to about 20 properties, both residential and industrial. In fact, I didn’t realize it when I was there earlier, but that bakery with the upstairs apartment is one of my properties.” All of this information was fascinating to Yoohyeon, knowing that the shorter woman had secrets just like she did was amusing, in a way, though hearing about the bakery peaked her interest. </p><p>“Bunny-Dog Bakery? You own that?” Yoohyeon asked with interest. It wasn’t until then that it clicked for Bora, voicing her realization with an audible “oooh”.</p><p>“Yes, I own the building, although your little girlfriend owns the bakery itself,” she clarified, waiting for the other woman to catch what she said.</p><p>“Oh that makes sense,” Yoohyeon agreed, then paused for a beat before quickly adding, “Wait, Jiu is not my girlfriend.” Bora smiled widely at this.</p><p>“But you <em>want</em> her to be,” she corrected the air bender, who could only blush and fold her arms shyly over her chest in response. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner! That’s why she was so jealous when I flirted with you the other night. It all makes sense.”</p><p>“Wait, you were flirting with me? WAIT, she was jealous?” came Yoohyeon’s questions. </p><p>“Oh, sweetie, you really are that oblivious. Don’t worry: from now on I will be your wingwoman AND earth bending teacher,” Bora assured her, earning a radiant eye-smile from the Avatar.</p><p>Admittedly, neither woman had anticipated the turn of events from this evening, although they were rather happy with how things had turned out. Both felt a sense of relief, being able to confide their deeply held secrets with another person. And most importantly, Yoohyeon would be able to learn earth bending properly now. Overall, the night was a win for all parties, even Yubin, who Yoohyeon definitely owed a pizza.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will any of the characters ever be on the same page lol? Probably not, but they're trying their best. I will try to get the next chapter done quicker than this one. Thank you for reading and stay tuned :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Joyous Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Lee Sisters finally arrive in Omashu, hoping for a fresh start. Their bond grows stronger after sharing some heartfelt moments, but their need for stability burdens Siyeon more than she can express. Although, things seem to settle into place in a familiar location.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi readers! Thank you for being patient as always and for returning to this story. This is one of my longer chapters I think; hopefully it was worth the wait. We FINALLY have all the girls in one city, so now things can begin to fall into place. Please enjoy and look forward to the next chapter. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Even when I don't get a chance to reply to every comment, I read each one and they make my whole day, so please continue leaving them :) Thanks again for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The entirety of the boat ride over, Siyeon was able to find peace in the surrounding water as the ship glided through it. Gahyeon, of course, had been bouncing in excitement for the whole 12-hour trip. </p><p>When the younger sister had tried to make conversation with Siyeon, the older had given answers that were thorough enough to be considered polite, but not enough to invite further conversation. It’s not that Siyeon did not want to speak to her sister, instead she simply wanted to enjoy the comfort provided by the sea. It had been a while since water brought her peace, not dread. She found her heart beating in time with the lazy waves slapping against the boat; the sea breeze wove playfully through her freshly-cut, blue hair. For once, Siyeon felt hopeful about the future. </p><p>By the time the Omashu port came into view, the water bender’s tranquility was replaced with anxiety. On the boat, time seemed to be suspended, yet the approaching shore reminded her that time stopped for no one. With the incoming dock came the incoming weight of her choice to pack up her life and leave with her sister. </p><p>Aside from her limited savings and a duffle bag of prized possessions, Siyeon had no backup plan; no safety net. With that in mind, she had no choice but to make it work, to survive, if not for her, then for her sister. The weight of it all came down on her so suddenly, she believed she would drop right through the deck of the ship, sinking to the sea floor. </p><p>Then there was her sister, light as a petal, casting a safety ring with the hand placed on her arm, to raise her up, out of her suffocating mind. “Siyeon, we’re here!” the pink-haired girl cheered in delight, dragging the older girl off the boat while also balancing their luggage. </p><p>“Can you slow down? You’re going to knock us into the water,” Siyeon complained as she struggled to keep up, though her grievances were actively ignored by the younger girl. </p><p>“And if that happens, you’ll just bend us out of the water, duh,” Gahyeon told her without missing a beat, “now hurry up.” </p><p>Once the girls finally made it onto the dock, the sight of the vast city, with all of its towering structures and bustling inhabitants, was enough to finally stop Gahyeon in her tracks. “Woah,” she breathed out, absorbing it in its entirety. </p><p>For a few moments, the sisters merely stood there, silently letting their new beginnings sink in. However, silence and stillness were always fleeting for the younger sister. “Come on,” she soon announced, latching onto the bender’s arm again, in an attempt to drag her who knows where. </p><p>Although, Siyeon was prepared this time, sinking her heels into the ground. “Gahyeon, stop for a second: we need to talk,” she told her firmly, holding the pink-haired girl back. </p><p>To her credit, the younger girl obeyed, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. “We can’t just run around mindlessly. This isn’t some fun vacation; this is our life now. We need to be serious,” the older girl said a bit too harshly. </p><p>Immediately, the younger girl deflated, causing Siyeon to regret her tone. “That doesn’t mean we won’t have a better life here; I know we will,” she added quickly, “As long as we plan well, we will be okay.” With the reassurance, Gahyeon’s smile returned, albeit more timid than before. </p><p>With a nod to signify her understanding, her face settled in a determined expression. “Okay, then what’s the plan?” she asked, to Siyeon’s surprise. Even though the older girl said that they needed to plan well, that didn’t mean she actually <em>had</em> a plan. But she couldn’t let Gahyeon know that, not when she was relying on Siyeon to keep them safe now. Scrambling to come up with something, her eyes shifted around wildly before happening to land on a sign that read “HOSTEL”. </p><p>“We’re going to stay in a hostel tonight,” she announced suddenly, “and discuss our future from there.” It was hardly a plan, nothing beyond the immediate, yet it seemed to appease Gahyeon, who was more than happy to follow Siyeon as she led the way.</p><p>*****</p><p>By the time they booked a room at the hostel and arranged their belongings in some sort of order, the sun was setting on their first afternoon in Omashu. Siyeon flopped onto one of the beds with an exhausted groan, closing her eyes. </p><p>She had hoped for a moment of peace: a foolish mistake. Soon enough, there was a Gahyeon-sized force slamming down on her body as the younger girl jumped on top of her. Siyeon released an audible <em>oof</em> before she felt her sister’s nose press against her own. When she opened her eyes, all she could was Gahyeon’s face, entirely too close to her own, to the point where the bender's vision was completely out of focus, displaying only blurry suggestions of facial features, framed by pink odes to hair. </p><p>“Si, I’m hungry,” the pink-haired girl mumbled against her sister’s face. As much as Siyeon wanted to rest, the sound of her own rumbling stomach and her smothering sister would not let her do so until they ate. </p><p>“Okay,” the blue-haired girl sighed, “Let’s go get dinner.” Hearing those magical words, Gahyeon leapt off the bed, cart-wheeling toward the door in excitement. Siyeon couldn’t help but chuckle as she followed the younger girl, with significantly less enthusiasm, out of the room.</p><p>*****</p><p>After asking the woman at the front desk, Joy, for recommendations, Siyeon ended up the name of a tteokbokki place, clearly written directions, and the number to Joy’s personal phone-line in case Siyeon needed help with <em>anything</em> at all (emphasis added by Joy). The water bender hadn’t asked for the last piece of information, though she supposed it wasn’t a bad idea to have someone like Joy willing to help her in this new city. </p><p>Before long, the sisters found themselves contentedly munching on their rice cakes, washing them down with chilled beer. For a few peaceful moments, they ate in silence, until it was the older sister’s turn to interrupt the quiet. “We need to talk about our future,” she began, “We’re going to need to get jobs. So, did you have anything in mind that you wanted to pursue?”</p><p>Gahyeon took another sip of beer before answering. When she pulled the glass away from her face, she was wearing a mustache of residual foam on her upper lip; Siyeon had to stifle a laugh at the sight. “I think I want to do something with acrobatics. I’m not sure how I can make money with that, but it is my passion,” the pink-haired girl said thoughtfully. </p><p>The older sister nodded at this, taking a sip of her own drink. She felt a sense of pride, hearing her sister be so sure and determined about her passions. “You’ll be the best acrobat Omashu has ever seen,” she confirmed, earning a radiant, gummy smile from the younger girl.</p><p>“Thanks, Si. Do you know what you want to do?” Gahyeon asked. For the second time that day, Gahyeon posed a question to which Siyeon had no prepared answer. </p><p>Ever since her water bending had revealed itself, the course of her life was set: she was a bending prodigy and would spend her time mastering the art. She hadn’t noticed that she had fallen off that path. Now, when she thought of her life centering around water bending, after what she had endured, it sickened her. Unfortunately, her previous preoccupation with bending left other areas of her life underdeveloped, for lack of a better term. She never had the opportunity to explore other passions; never considered what she would do if it did not involve bending. </p><p>“I’m not sure…” she finally, ashamedly, admitted to her sister, “I know I’m supposed to be setting a good example for you...I’m sorry.” The water bender curled her fist tightly around her beer mug, gripping it in frustration, when she said this. It did not go unnoticed by the younger girl.</p><p>“Hey,” Gahyeon said, placing her hands softly around Siyeon’s clenched one, “You have nothing to apologize for. It’s not your fault; you were never really given the freedom to find yourself outside of bending, huh? Well, now you can. There’s nothing holding us back here,” the acrobat concluded positively. And while Siyeon softened at her sister’s optimism, she had to remind her of the reality. </p><p>“I appreciate the sentiment, but our limited funds are quite literally holding us back,” Siyeon corrected, only for Gahyeon to wave her off.</p><p>“Oh, please. Have you seen how cute I am? Give me a week: I’ll get some pretty, rich person to fall for me and pay all our bills,” the younger sister announced with the utmost confidence, inspiring the older to burst into warm laughter. </p><p>“I don’t doubt it,” Siyeon agreed, followed by: “So, pretty, rich ‘person,’ hm?” It took Gahyeon a moment to realize that this was her sister’s way of asking her to elaborate on her pointed vocabulary. </p><p>“I like pretty people,” she stated simply, shrugging. The blue-haired woman hummed thoughtfully, which would have made Gahyeon nervous, if it had taken any longer for the smirk to appear on her older sister’s face.</p><p>“I always knew you got your flawless taste from me,” Siyeon said smugly. “To pretty people,” she then proposed, raising her beer mug in a toast.</p><p>The younger sister grinned. “To pretty people!” she cheered, clinking their glasses together. </p><p>*****</p><p>With a beer numbed-brain and a tteokbokki-warmed belly, Siyeon slept surprisingly well her first night in Omashu. She at least felt energized enough to face the day, despite that day including finding a place to live and finding a job to support them. Luckily for her, Joy was working at the front desk again that morning, so the blue-haired girl asked her to point her in the right direction. The two chatted for a bit, with Joy taking every opportunity to touch Siyeon’s arm or laugh at her jokes. By the end of the conversation, the water bender got the name of a renowned real estate agent, an offer for complimentary breakfast, and an invite to dinner with Joy that very night. She happily accepted the first two and politely declined that last. </p><p>“You’re very beautiful, and I’m flattered, but I’m kind of a mess right now. Ask me again once I get my life a bit more sorted, okay?” she told Joy, who was completely understanding. </p><p>“Don’t worry about it, honey. Work on getting your turtle-ducks in a row, then you know where to find me,” Joy assured her. Siyeon thanked her again, genuinely, before loading up two plates of breakfast food and bringing them back to her room for herself and Gahyeon. </p><p>The sisters enjoyed their breakfast offerings in comfortable silence before Siyeon mentioned that she was going to see a real estate agent that day. “Ooh! Okay, I’ll come,” Gahyeon agreed excitedly.</p><p>“I didn’t ask you to come,” Siyeon corrected her. </p><p>“Fine, you convinced me: I’m coming,” the younger sister emphasized, “Just give me a few minutes to get ready.” The older girl merely shook her head in amusement, knowing that arguing with the younger was futile. </p><p>It wasn’t long before the sisters were making their way out of the hostel, Joy bidding them farewell with a wiggly-fingered wave and a wink for Siyeon, enroute to the real estate agent’s office. As they walked, the younger girl nudged the older with her elbow: “Don’t think I didn’t see that wink from the woman behind the desk, Si.” Siyeon rolled her eyes at this.</p><p>"She was just being playful," she said, dismissively.</p><p>"No way; she totally wants to ask you out," the pink-haired girl claimed.</p><p>"She already did; I said no," the blue-haired girl revealed. Without turning to face her, Siyeon knew that the other girl’s mouth was agape. A moment later, two fingers poked the water bender in the eyes. </p><p>“Ow, what the fuck?” Siyeon snapped in irritation. </p><p>“I had to check that you had eyes. Apparently you do, they just don’t work. Why would you say no to that stunning woman?” Gahyeon questioned. </p><p>“Not that it’s any of your business, but I am in no position to date anyone right now. Joy is a beautiful woman, and seems lovely: she deserves someone who has their life together, which I clearly don’t,” Siyeon explained, still rubbing her recently attacked eyes. </p><p>“Okay, I’m sorr--” Right as the pink-haired girl was about to apologize, the sisters’ rounded the corner and were met with music and a crowd of cheering people gathered around some spectacle. “Woah, what is going on over there?” the younger girl asked, mostly to herself, as she curiously hurried towards the crowd, pushing through to the interior. The older sister eventually caught up with her, making her way through the crowd more gingerly than the younger girl. By the time she got to Gahyeon, the pink-haired girl’s eyes were transfixed on the performance happening in front of them. </p><p>Three young women were moving so beautifully in sync that Siyeon felt her breath catch in her throat. As they danced, every fluid movement of each girl flowed stunningly into the girl adjacent, creating the most pleasing silhouettes. When the song ended, the crowd erupted into cheers, tossing money into a basket set up to collect gratuities, while the trio transitioned into their next routine. This one seemed less structured, with the performers encouraging the crowd to start a rhythm of clapping. Glancing over at her sister, Siyeon saw the pink-haired girl slapping her hands together, powered by the momentum of her entire body; Siyeon herself clapped much more softly. Returning her eyes to the performers, the water bender noticed the two taller girls down on one knee across from each other, in the middle of the cleared space. From across the clearing, the shorter girl, with brilliant purple hair, took a running start before using the other girls’ knees to spring off of, somersaulting through air, and landing with a perfect handspring. The spectators erupted into cheers, particularly Gahyeon, who was bouncing up and down, whooping and hollering. </p><p>As much as Siyeon was enjoying herself, she knew that she could not spend the whole day watching these street performers, not when she had to find them an apartment and find a job. But as she turned to tell Gahyeon that they needed to leave, she stopped. Her sister was <em>glowing,</em> with eyes shimmering like ocean waves washed in sunlight; she couldn’t interrupt her ecstasy. Instead, she leaned over to speak into the younger’s ear: “I’m going to meet with the real estate agent; I’ll meet you back at the hostel later, okay?” Her sister merely sent a thumbs up and nodded, without turning her head away from the action. Siyeon rolled her eyes in fake annoyance before weaving her way out of the crowd. She set off once again to find the woman who would hopefully rent them an affordable apartment.</p><p>*****</p><p>By the time Siyeon wound up outside the stone-faced, industrial building, the sun was already beginning to descend. She pulled open the intimidating doors and entered the lobby. Immediately, a smartly dressed man greeted her. “Hello, ma’am. Did you need help with anything today?” Having never been referred to as “ma’am” before, the blue-haired woman already felt out of place. </p><p>“Um, yes; I am looking for a Wong Kahei?” Siyeon requested timidly. </p><p>“Of course; her office is the third door on the right,” replied the man, gesturing in the proper direction. The water bender thanked him, heading to her destination. With a gentle knock on the threshold of the open-doored office, Siyeon announced her presence. The orange-haired woman looked up from a pile of documents, addressing her with a kind, welcoming smile. </p><p>“Are you Wong Kahei?” Siyeon questioned, making sure she was in the right place. </p><p>“That’s me,” the woman affirmed, “But, please, call me Vivi,” she added, directing her hand in invitation toward an empty seat for Siyeon, who nodded and sat. “What can I do for you today, Ms…?” Vivi asked, trailing off to give the blue-haired woman a chance to answer.</p><p>“Siyeon: I’m Lee Siyeon. Joy gave me your name, she said you could help me find an apartment,” she explained. Vivi’s face lit up at the mention of Joy, which was unsurprising since the woman from the hostel seemed to bring her namesake to everyone she met. </p><p>“Oh, Joy is such a doll; I have to catch up with her,” the orange-haired woman announced, “And she’s right: I manage one of my client’s real estate portfolio, so I can show you potential rental options from there.” The water bender nodded again, feeling too intimidated by the situation to speak more than absolutely necessary. Vivi sensed the other woman’s unease, so she didn’t press her with more conversation, simply placing the portfolio of properties in front of her. “These are all the choices I have to offer. If you see one that interests you, great! If not, I can put you in contact with some other agents I know. Absolutely no pressure, so take your time looking through; I’m going to get a coffee, would you like anything?” the orange-haired woman asked, while making her way towards the office door. Truth be told, she didn’t need another cup of coffee, but she thought the other woman would be more relaxed without Vivi in the room, watching her browse the listings, so this was the best excuse to step out for a bit. </p><p>“No, thank you,” Siyeon replied, to which Vivi smiled kindly, dipping out of the office. Short, blue strands of her hair curtained the bender’s face as she looked over the property listings. As she read through the descriptions of each place, she grew more and more overwhelmed. All she wanted was a roof, a bed, and a bathroom: she never knew there were so many other things to consider. </p><p><em>How big is 500 square-feet?</em> she wondered, looking at her own foot, trying to imagine 500 of them. <em>Is heat important? It can’t get colder than the South Pole here... What the fuck does “industrial loft” mean? No pets? That doesn’t matter...but what if I want a bunny-dog in the future, what then? Open floor plan: are there holes in the floor then? And no smoking... okay that’s fine--wait, does Gahyeon smoke? WHAT IF SHE WANTS TO START SMOKING AND I FAILED HER,</em> came Siyeon’s turbulent thoughts. As much as she wanted to run away, she couldn’t, not when the image of Gahyeon having the time of her life popped back into her head. Siyeon had agreed to relocate to Omashu, now it was her responsibility to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. After all, there was no plan B. </p><p>Taking the deepest breath her lungs would allow, she collected herself and her thoughts. <em>What do we absolutely need in an apartment? Two rooms, kitchen, bathroom: those are necessities, everything else would be a bonus, if we can afford it,</em> she concluded. With a new focus, she determinedly scanned through the portfolio. It was not until the seventh property that she was finally intrigued. It was a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment, with an “open floor plan” kitchen and living room area (she figured it would be easy enough to repair the holes in the floor, if that’s what that phrase meant). When she finally saw the price of rent, she felt her heart sink a little bit. It was not a price that she couldn’t afford: she could pay the deposit, and the first month’s rent, but it was definitely a price that meant she would need a job as soon as possible to sustain it. </p><p>Vivi returned to the room, as signified by the hitting of her heels on the gleaming, tile floor. “See anything you like?” she inquired. </p><p>Siyeon nodded, clearing her throat, hoping to ensure a professional tone of voice would follow. “Yes, this one here; I would like to rent it,” she announced with a faux-confidence that Vivi saw right through, though she did not comment upon. The orange-haired woman retrieved the folder to look more closely at the listing to which Siyeon was referring. </p><p>“This is an excellent choice; the location is wonderful, don’t you think?” Vivi inquired, excited for her client. </p><p>Full transparency: Siyeon absolutely did not look at the location of the apartment. Not that it would matter, since she had spent one, single day in this city and did not know where anything was, but she could not embarrass herself in front of Vivi like that. So she plastered on the same smile she used when she would encounter people at the market who claimed to know her, yet she did not recognize them in return. “Of course: location is key, as they say,” Siyeon replied, not knowing if anyone actually said that or not. Quickly changing topics, she added: “So how soon can I move in?” </p><p>“As soon as tomorrow morning, if you would like,” Vivi offered, which Siyeon eagerly accepted. “Just sign this contract for me please, while I go grab the key from the safe. Then the apartment will be all yours as soon as you pay the deposit.” </p><p>When Vivi left to retrieve the key, Siyeon frantically dug through her bag to make sure she had enough to pay for the deposit. By the time the orange-haired woman returned, the contract was signed (by a shaking hand, after not being read) and an ugly, crumpled pile of bills were sitting on the desk.</p><p>“I don’t have a checkbook, I hope cash is okay…” Siyeon admitted, sheepishly. </p><p>Vivi shrugged: “Money is money. Here are your keys and here is my business card. Don’t hesitate to come see me if you have any issues, Ms. Lee. Enjoy your apartment.” With a final thank you, Siyeon left with the keys to her new apartment, and the weight of a new responsibility. </p><p>*****</p><p>The sun had fallen heavily overhead when Siyeon finally left Vivi’s office. Mixed feelings wormed within her: she felt relieved to have a permanent residence for herself and Gahyeon now, yet the pressure to maintain its permanence was already exhausting. With slumped shoulders and a sluggish gait, she wandered the streets of Omashu, in a direction she could only hope would take her where she needed to go. </p><p>Just as her exhaustion began to morph into feelings of despair, her eyes were caught by the faintly glowing sign of a building. Glimmering baby-pink, curvy letters and the sweetest image of a bunny-dog were all Siyeon needed to convince her to detour into the shop. Even the chiming of the bells on the door she pushed open were cheerful, already brightening her mood. The woman had not actually read the sign outside, too focused on the cute, animal imagery, yet the instant smell of cinnamon and sugar informed her that she was in a bakery before her eyes did. </p><p>She could not remember the last time she had felt so at ease and she had only spent a few moments in the place: the vibes were that immaculate. A breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding finally escaped, along with some of the tension in her body. <em>Is this what peace feels like?</em> she wondered, unfamiliar with the feeling. And just when she thought things could not improve any further, an animated cotton ball bounced over to her, and sat on her foot expectantly. “I love it here,” Siyeon unknowingly declared aloud. Only the sound of a bright giggle clued her into the fact that someone had heard her. </p><p>“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” the stranger announced, gathering Siyeon’s attention. The voice belonged to a dark-haired woman, who was obviously a baker, unless she wore flour-covered aprons for the sake of fashion. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she watched Siyeon with amused eyes and a warm smile. </p><p>“Oh, hey, I didn’t see you there,” Siyeon greeted finally. The baker smiled wider, making her eyes close in the process, which Siyeon found herself reflecting, though not nearly as bright. </p><p>“No worries; you’re clearly preoccupied by the welcoming committee. Her name is Cherry and mine is Jiu,” the dark-haired woman said, introducing herself and the marvelous fluffball, who was now being scooped into the blue-haired woman’s arms.</p><p>“I’m Siyeon,” the water bender shared for the second time today, cuddling the bunny-dog into her chest.</p><p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and clearly Cherry feels the same way,” Jiu added as she warmly watched her precious companion burrow into the material of Siyeon’s shirt. “So what brings you to my humble shop?”</p><p>Siyeon was rocking Cherry in her arms, who had fallen asleep at this point, when she answered. “I was on my way back from a really long day, to be honest. My sister and I just arrived here yesterday; we’re from the Southern Water Tribe. So I had to find us an apartment, which I did, but it took a big bite out of my savings and now I’m scrambling to find a job. And I have no idea what I want to do, but I don’t have a choice. If we don’t make this work, if <em>I</em> don’t make this work, there is no other option. I’m terrified,” it all flowed out of Siyeon before she even realized it. Something about the atmosphere in the bakery, its warmth, and the kindness oozing out of Jiu made the ever-guarded water bender just spill her guts, for the first time ever, despite only walking in a few minutes ago. Once she realized what she had done, her cheeks grew aflame with embarrassment. “I--can’t believe I just told you all that. I’m so sorry; I should leave,” Siyeon stammered in a panic.</p><p>“Wait, no! It’s totally fine, Siyeon, please. First of all, welcome to Omashu. I’m sorry it’s been a tough start, although maybe I can help? I know we just met, but if you’re looking for a job, I could use some help around here,” Jiu proposed. </p><p>Siyeon could not believe that her flustered, oversharing ramble had been met with a job offer, so she had to clarify: “Are you serious?”</p><p>“Yes. The shop is getting busier, and as much as I love being here, it would be nice to have a life outside of these walls. It would mostly be running the front of the bakery, you know, tending to customers, keeping things tidy, that sort of thing. I can’t promise astronomical pay, but it should be enough to keep you afloat. So, the job is yours, if you want it,” the baker elaborated. All of it sounded too good to be true for Siyeon.</p><p>“Don’t you have to interview me first?” she asked the baker incredulously. </p><p>Jiu shrugged and said, “If Cherry trusts you enough to immediately fall asleep in your arms like that, then that’s enough for me.” </p><p>“I really can’t thank you enough, Jiu. I promise I’ll be a model employee,” Siyeon said graciously.</p><p>“If you can be as good with customers as you are with animals, I’m sure you will be. Why don’t you swing by tomorrow after hours so I can show you the ropes and we can work out a schedule?” the dark-haired woman suggested. </p><p>“That sounds perfect,” Siyeon agreed, “I’ll see you then. Thank you again and have a good night,” she said, bidding her new boss farewell. Right as she was about to leave, the baker stopped her.</p><p>“Siyeon! Aren’t you forgetting something?” Jiu asked, seriously. The water bender wracked her brain, trying to uncover what the other woman could mean.</p><p>“Do you need my address or something…?” she answered in confusion.</p><p>“No, Siyeon, I need my bunny-dog,” she deadpanned, holding out her arms expectantly. This time, Siyeon flushed from head-to-toe in shame as she fumbled out apologies.</p><p>“Holy shit, I’m so sorry. Here, take the little angel; fuck, I’m <em>sorry</em> I promise I wasn’t trying to steal her. I’m not a thief, please don’t fire me already--” but Jiu’s laughter interrupted her.</p><p>“Have a good night, Siyeon. I’ll see you tomorrow,” the baker concluded, shooing the other woman out the door, with no hard feelings insight. </p><p>Only once the hostel sign came into view some twenty minutes later, the blue-haired woman decided that despite almost stealing her new boss’ pet, her day had been a success. She had a new apartment and a new job, bringing her a sense of security which she didn't have when she awoke this morning. For the second time, Siyeon felt hopeful about the future.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. With a Cherry on Top</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>All of the characters end up at the bakery, one way or another. Some introductions go more smoothly than others and miscommunications come to light. Cherry is just happy to be there.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back &amp; thank you for being patient as always! We finally get the gang together in this chapter...well, sort of. Keep in mind the relationship tags, I know I've made a mess of things with all the blurred lines, but the original tags will come to fruition. Something to note: this is my first time writing a polyamorous relationship, so I am open to feedback (only the introduction to it comes this chapter, but let me know if I am going about it in the right way!). This is also my first time writing 7 characters in one scene (0/10 would recommend but the things I do for my girls), so I apologize if somethings are unclear spatially or if who is referring to whom is messy, but I tried to be explicit. Other than that, please enjoy this half-serious; half-cracky-humor chapter and stay tuned for more! Please leave feedback :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A week had passed since Siyeon began working at Bunny-Dog Bakery and things had been going well, for the most part. In terms of keeping the bakery neat, the cases stocked, and the customers’ orders filled: she was exceptionally proficient. As for her customer service, well, her concise, blunt way of speaking was not exactly warm and inviting. Fortunately, the atmosphere and the owner’s cheerfulness were more than enough to make up for Siyeon’s coolness. It wasn’t that Siyeon was a cold person; she simply was not the type to be unnecessarily friendly with strangers. Once she grew comfortable with you, however, she could be quite warm. And after only a week, the water bender had become more comfortable with Jiu than anyone else in her life, aside from her sister, of course. </p><p>Every evening, while they went through the closing routine, the two would chat and snack on the leftover pastries, as they prepared the doughs and batters for the next day. Siyeon had the privilege to see Cherry’s baby pictures and learn more about Jiu’s past. Apparently, the dark-haired woman lost touch with her family after she moved here, years ago, to open up her bakery. As someone who left on not-the-best-terms with her own parents, Siyeon did not press to find out what kind of relationship she had with her family. Jiu did mention that she was close with her uncle, although he lived far away, so they didn’t see each other often. If the baker were upset about this, she hid it well, always seeming to be bright and chiper, at least around Siyeon. </p><p>Aside from Cherry and her family, the baker also mentioned a friend, Handong, who typically hung around the bakery, though Siyeon had yet to meet her. According to Jiu, Handong had started seeing someone romantically, therefore she spent less time in the bakery these days. </p><p>On the other end, Jiu learned that Siyeon was a water bender, although it wasn’t something the blue-haired woman seemed to be proud of, so the baker left the subject alone. Mostly, Jiu learned about Siyeon’s sister, which seemed to be her favorite topic. It was endearing how much she spoke of her: the pride she had in the younger sister was obvious and made the baker excited to eventually meet her. Other than that, Siyeon restated the fact that she and her sister came here to start fresh, and while it would be difficult to make ends meet, the chance at a fulfilling life was worth it.</p><p>*****</p><p>That Monday, Handong and Yubin visited the bakery for breakfast. Jiu let them in before the shop opened so that they could get the first choice of pastries. After getting everything in order for the upcoming workday, Jiu caught up with Handong. She tried to make conversation with Yubin as well, though Handong explained that the warrior was not up for pleasantries until after her hunger was properly defeated. So instead, Jiu informed Handong about the new happenings in her life, like adding a new employee to her staff. “Good,” the red-haired woman agreed upon hearing the news, “You spend too much time here; it will be worthwhile to delegate tasks to someone else. As long as I approve of them, of course.” </p><p>The baker rolled her eyes: “Please don’t scare her away; she’s my only employee. And she’s doing well so far,” Jiu defended. </p><p>“I’ll be the judge of that,” the other woman replied, “When does she work next? I need to threaten-- I mean chat with her.” She received a slap on the arm from the baker for such a comment.</p><p>“You will NOT threaten her; she would never hurt a fly,” Jiu stated, before checking her watch, “And she should be here any minute, actually. So you better be on your best behavior, or no more free pastries.” Whatever Handong’s reaction to this threat was, it was drowned out by the strangled yelp of despair coming from Yubin, who was clearly suffering from the thought of paying for future baked goods. </p><p>Just then, the front door to the shop opened to reveal one Lee Siyeon, a bit more flustered than her usual calm, collected self. As she rushed behind the counter, Jiu greeted her brightly. “Hi Jiu, I’m sorry for being late. You’re not going to believe this, but I actually collided with a cabbage cart and the guy like <em>freaked out,</em> so I had to stay and help him before heading here,” Siyeon retold in a huff, expecting her boss to laugh in her face and accuse her of lying. Instead, Jiu merely blinked and nodded.</p><p>“No worries. That guy is always in everyone’s way. I ran into him last Thursday,” the dark-haired woman recalled, to Siyeon’s surprise. The water bender found it odd that enough people could smash into a cabbage cart for it to be considered commonplace, though she supposed there were plenty of other oddities she would discover about her new home. She didn’t have long to dwell on the fact before customers began streaming in for the morning rush, forcing Siyeon to get to work. </p><p>From the corner of the bakery, Handong observed the newest employee with keen eyes. While she did typically observe new people with precision, her gaze was particularly intense on Siyeon because the renowned assassin was not about to let just anyone get close to her dearest friend without first being deemed a non-threat. Even though Jiu gave the new employee her seal of approval, the baker tended to be a little too trusting for Handong’s taste, so she would prefer to form her own judgment. And if Siyeon ever noticed the other woman watching her (she did), she did not acknowledge it. “You look hot when you’re scrutinizing people,” Yubin chimed in from the side, causing the red-haired woman to turn to her with a smirk, which quickly grew into a grin. </p><p>“And you look adorable with crumbs all over your face, honey,” Handong teased, brushing the stray crumbs from the other woman’s face with her fingertips. Her pointer and thumb fingers came to rest with the warrior’s chin between them, simply admiring all of her delicate, yet striking features, before pulling her in for a sweet kiss. She pulled away after a moment, meeting the eyes of the other, blushing woman. </p><p>“W-what was that for?” the warrior stammered cutely.</p><p>“You’re my girl and I enjoy kissing you,” Handong said matter-of-factly. Lee Yubin trained her entire life to control her every reaction, every expression, so as not to give her opponents any advantages against her. Yet, there she was, with only the faintest hint of her eyes showing after being squeezed shut by the cheeks of her uncontainable, joyous smile. </p><p>“Okay,” she breathed out in a small voice that mismatched her intimidating features. She hadn’t known Handong for long, though there was something about the red-haired woman that felt right; like finding a favorite shirt, without realizing it had been lost in the first place. And perhaps Yubin was naive for feeling this way: much of Handong remained a mystery, and it seemed the woman preferred to keep it that way. Nevertheless, despite the cloud of mystery, even danger, the Kyoshi warrior experienced peace, not fear. </p><p>As the morning rush came and went, the bakery lulled into a quiet calmness. Handong and Yubin bantered in their secluded corner, exchanging heart eyes and holding hands under the table. Jiu and Siyeon cooed over Cherry, who was demonstrating her greatest hits, including, but not limited to, dancing on her back legs, singing, and doing a double lutz, off the ice. The level of homeostasis in the bakery would take an astronomical force of chaos to disrupt it. </p><p>And just like that, the bakery door clanged open. "Singnie!" hollered the younger Lee sister as she entered the establishment, "I didn't realize you worked at the sweetest place in the world-- WAIT is that a real bunny-dog? I need her." Gahyeon, wearing her pink hair secured in twin buns on the top of her head and a powder-blue sweater dress, bounded over to where Jiu and Siyeon were playing with Cherry, immediately kneeling to the animal's level. </p><p>“Of course this place is sweet: I told you it was a <em>bakery,</em> dumbass,” Siyeon teased, earning a swift jab from her sister. Jiu watched the two girls bicker for a few moments before connecting the dots.</p><p>“Oh, is this your sister?” she asked the blue-haired woman, who nodded in confirmation.</p><p>The pink-haired girl gave Jiu one of her gummiest smiles and eagerly extended her hand in greeting. “I’m Gahyeon and everything Siyeon told you about me is a lie,” she announced as she shook the baker’s hand that comically engulfed her own tinier one. </p><p>With a jubilant laugh rising all the way from her chest, the baker replied, “So you’re not actually a vibrant, diligent young woman with overflowing compassion and talent?” </p><p>Gahyeon’s lower jaw immediately dropped from its upper counterpart as she looked at her sister in disbelief. </p><p>Siyeon refused to return the eye contact as she rubbed her neck bashfully. “Well, if I said you were lame it would reflect poorly on me, too. My reputation was at stake,” she excused, convincing absolutely no one. </p><p>It did not take long for Jiu to declare Gahyeon as her very own mini-me, much to the pink-haired girl’s delight, and her sister’s amusement. From across the room, Handong was watching, as usual, though this time with a more affectionate lens focused on the younger Lee sister. “She’s adorable,” Yubin announced objectively. </p><p>"Right?" Handong agreed, "I just want to eat her up." Even though Yubin was the first one to state what is arguably a fact, the way the other woman agreed so eagerly made her stomach sink. And call her a masochist, but she couldn’t let the subject drop; she could not enjoy bliss at the expense of ignorance.</p><p>“Oh. Are you, like, interested in her?” the warrior asked bravely, while fearing the answer.</p><p>Still with her eyes fixed on the pink-haired girl, Handong replied, “Well, yes: look at her.” The nonchalance of her statement bit at Yubin in a way she was ashamed to admit. She knew she had been a fool for feeling safe with a woman who exuded such dangerous energy; for thinking she would be enough for the woman who seemed to know everyone: the woman who could have anyone. But she needed to hear it from the woman’s own lips otherwise her mind would never let her rest.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were interested in me. I even thought we were together,” Yubin said with a forced chuckle, attempting to choke back the hurt and shame treading beneath the surface. Her statement finally redirected the other woman’s gaze away from the pink-haired girl across the room. When Handong turned to Yubin, one eyebrow rested near her hairline, expressing clear confusion.</p><p>“What? Baby, I <em>am</em> interested in you; we’re literally dating,” she clarified, leaving the warrior confused this time.</p><p>“But you just said you were interested in her…?” Yubin reminded her, prompting Handong to wrap one of her hands in her own.</p><p>“I am. I’m interested in both of you,” the red-haired woman finally explained, “You said you thought she was cute, too, right? So if we both agree, why should we be exclusively together when we could be <em>inclusively</em> together, with her?” Then she added, “Assuming she would be interested in us and that arrangement, of course.” Well, when put so simply, Yubin found it difficult to argue against. She turned to observe the younger girl, who was still animatedly playing with Cherry, and confirmed just how attractive she found her. The more the warrior thought about it, the more reasonable the concept seemed. It wasn’t that she was against a relationship with multiple partners, she just never considered it before. Now that she did, she felt excited about the opportunity. </p><p>“Your brain is so hot,” Yubin stated, causing Handong to let loose one of her deliciously smooth laughs. </p><p>“Thanks, darling. And I’ll make sure you never doubt how much I am interested in you again, okay? If you ever have insecurities, talk to me, and I will do the same with you. We need to trust each other completely for this to work,” the older woman explained tenderly. The warrior gave her a soft smile to signify her understanding and agreement.</p><p>“So how do we go about this?” Yubin asked, letting the other woman take the lead.</p><p>“Well, first, we should talk to her instead of discussing her in theoretical terms,” the red-haired woman suggested sarcastically. </p><p>“You don’t stop with the excellent ideas, huh? Go ahead, then, show me how it’s done,” the warrior quipped back. The other woman raised her brows and slid her chair back from the table to rise to the challenge. Before she could get to her feet, however, the front door swung open, welcoming in Yoohyeon and Sua this time. </p><p>From Jiu’s perspective, she saw Yoohyeon come in first, highlighted by a halo of sunlight that almost made her appear superhuman. And if the sight caused her breath to stall in her throat, no one would know but herself. Except, the air soon left her in an annoyed huff when she spotted Sua, too. "To what do I owe the pleasure, ladies?" the baker asked in a faux-sweet tone that only Siyeon seemed to detect, as indicated by the weird look she sent Jiu. The two latest arrivals, however, were completely oblivious to any sarcasm sent their way. </p><p>“We just finished up another session and I dragged Sua here because I was craving some of your cake,” Yoohyeon announced genuinely, causing Jiu to choke on her saliva, while Handong, Yubin, and even Siyeon, snickered to themselves. Gahyeon was too infatuated with Cherry to even turn and notice the new occupants, let alone the tall, silver-haired woman’s questionable choice of words. Before the blush could rise up to the baker’s cheeks, Sua inserted herself into the conversation.</p><p>“I honestly was not thrilled about being coerced into coming,” the earth bender admitted, bluntly, while stepping around Yoohyeon to present herself. It was then she locked eyes onto the pink-haired girl who was still crouching on the floor away from her. “But suddenly I am <em>very</em> glad that I am here; hello, beautiful,” Sua greeted the younger Lee sister, bending the stone floor to swivel the girl around, and raising the earth beneath her until she was eye-level with the earth bender. Boldly taking the pink-haired girl’s hand into her own, she raised it to her lips, pressing a kiss there: “I’m Sua.” </p><p>Whether Gahyeon would have graced the earth bender with a pleasant response, or something snarky, will never be known because Siyeon had witnessed the whole interaction. “And you’re about to back the fuck up from my sister,” the older sister growled. The whole room fell into a tense silence; well, except for Sua, who remained unfazed. </p><p>“Ooh, the protective older sister <em>is</em> more my type, anyway; how you doing, sweetheart?” asked the pro-bender smoothly as she redirected her flirting to the blue-haired woman and waved her hand to lower the pedestal of stone she had created, and Gahyeon, back to ground level. </p><p>Gahyeon sensed her sister’s growing agitation and tried to pacify the older woman: “Relax, Siyeon, she’s just being friendly.” </p><p>“Siyeon? What a beautiful first name; it would sound even better followed by my last name,” Sua continued her flirtation.</p><p>Siyeon scoffed bitterly and the rest of the women watched the interaction with mixed reactions: some worried, some surprised, and Handong watched with popcorn of unknown origins. “Are you serious? You’re going to hit on me right after hitting on my <em>sister</em> and using your bending so frivolously like it’s some kind of game?” the older sister snapped, her tone icy. </p><p>Yoohyeon whimpered, Gahyeon sucked in a breath through her teeth, Jiu chuckled awkwardly, not particularly upset by the idea of the earth bender getting knocked down a peg, and Yubin and Handong devoured the popcorn, while placing bets on who would win the showdown. Yet, Sua did not back down.</p><p>“It may not be a game, but it <em>is</em> a sport, and baby: I’m a pro. You should come watch one of my matches sometime. Maybe I’ll show you my moves after, if you’re lucky,” she shot back, with a wink and a smile that would be charming in almost any other situation. </p><p>And while Siyeon may have been a water bender, in that moment, she swore she could shoot flames from her eyes alone. Apparently, Gahyeon could sense her fury, indicated by the younger sister’s audible <em>yikes,</em> and even sweet Cherry seemed anxious from the atmosphere. The blue-haired woman allowed her rationality to remain in control as she turned to ask her boss a question: “Jiu, would you fire me if I bashed a patron’s head into the display case?” </p><p>Yoohyeon gasped, startled by how calmly the graphic query had been presented. As for Gahyeon, she merely looked at Sua with pity, knowing that her sister’s bark could easily be supported by her bite. </p><p>The baker took more time than necessary to answer the ridiculous question, seemingly considering the pros and cons. Everyone was anticipating her reply when Handong, the voice of reason, piped up: “Your property insurance does not cover that kind of liability, sweetie.”</p><p>Jiu sighed. “She’s right. I can’t let you smack Yoohyeon’s girlfriend’s head into the counter, even if it would benefit the greater good,” the baker explained, disappointedly. Mild chaos ensued following her statement.</p><p>Yoohyeon let out a tea-kettle-like screech: “My WHAT?” And although she shouted the question, it could hardly be heard over the uproarious laughter coming from the popcorn-gallery of Handong and Yubin.</p><p>“Who’s Yoohyeon?” Siyeon asked amidst the cacophony, earning her a smack in the head from Gahyeon.</p><p>“Clearly <em>she’s</em> Yoohyeon,” she stated, gesturing to the silver-haired girl, who was still emitting shrill screams that juxtaposed her height and elegant appearance. “Would it kill you to use some deductive reasoning? Keep up,” Gahyeon scolded. </p><p>“Sua is NOT my GIRLFRIEND!” Yoohyeon shrieked again, unknowingly encouraging Cherry to bark in harmony with her high-pitched tone.  </p><p>Genuinely surprised by the information, Jiu replied, “Oh? I just assumed, since you started spending all of your time with her, right after we kissed and acted like nothing happened.”</p><p>The next shout came from Yubin, directed at Yoohyeon: “You KISSED her and didn’t tell me: your best friend?” Another squeaky, embarrassed scream from Yoohyeon followed, matched with Cherry’s barking.</p><p>Her track record for mishandling situations did not stop Sua from interjecting again. “For the record, I would never flirt with anyone else if I were in a closed relationship. Are you listening, Siyeon? I will never flirt with other people when we’re together,” the earth bender clarified, trying to save her reputation. </p><p>“I’m going to flip out,” Siyeon declared, with a crazed laugh, springing Gahyeon into action. </p><p>“Well! It was a pleasure meeting most of you today, but I should get going. Sua, I’ll walk you out,” the pink-haired girl said, placing a hand on the earth bender’s arm to guide her away.</p><p>“But I didn’t even buy anything--” Sua protested, as the younger girl’s grip on her arm tightened.</p><p>“I said we’re LEAVING. Bye everyone; see you at home, Singnie!” the younger sister offered with finality, dragging the complaining earth bender out the door. When the door clicked shut behind them, the incessant noise died down at last, leaving the five remaining women and one bunny-dog to process all that had occurred.</p><p>Yoohyeon was the first one to disrupt the silence when she cleared her throat. “Jiu, can we speak for a moment?” she asked before adding, “In private.” The dark-haired woman nodded, offering her hand out to the taller girl, who gladly accepted, and leading them through the doors into the kitchen. </p><p>Siyeon was left standing in front of the counter, wondering how no customers had come in during the entirety of that ordeal. Although, she didn’t think too deeply on the matter, since Cherry was tapping on her foot, demanding her attention, which Siyeon happily supplied, scooping the fluffball into her arms. Within moments, the woman’s sizzling nerves had been soothed just from burying her face into the animal’s fur.</p><p>At their table, in relative peace and out of Siyeon’s earshot, the warrior whispered to her girlfriend: “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t hit on her sister after all.”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. What Took You So Long</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jiyoo finally admit what they have been hiding. Well, some of it. Handong helps Jiu clean-up, but not without teasing her. She pretends to be shocked by information, while gathering other information to put one of her plots into motion. Then the Lee sisters (maybe) catch a break for all of their hard work.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay; I'm a disaster. Here is the next chapter. Thank you all for being so patient and coming back to read this. And to the readers who are finding this for the first time: welcome! As always: feedback is really appreciated, so please comment! Find me on twitter @fireminji if you want to interact and send me questions on my curious cat (in my twitter bio) if you're feeling shy. Enjoy and stay tuned for the next chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With the doors of the kitchen swinging shut behind them, Jiu went to release their conjoined hands, only for Yoohyeon to tighten her grip. The Avatar wasn’t sure why she held on, why she needed comfort; her hand felt empty without the baker’s in it. “Sua is not my girlfriend; please don’t be jealous,” she finally stated. </p><p>“Me? JEALOUS? I am <em>not</em> jealous,” Jiu replied, jealously, “I just don’t see why you would want to spend so much time with her.” Although the baker aimed for a tone of nonchalance, Yoohyeon could tell otherwise. </p><p>Squeezing her hand, Yoohyeon assured her, “I would rather spend time with you.”</p><p>“Then why don’t you,” Jiu grumbled, pulling her own hand away to tuck it, along with the other, into her arms as they folded across her chest. The frown pulling down the corners of her typically-upturned mouth called for Yoohyeon to wipe it away. </p><p>“It’s not like I <em>want</em> to spend time with her, but I need her to teach me bending,” the silver-haired girl lamented, trying to justify her time with the pro-bender. </p><p>While still disgruntled, Jiu did soften a bit, hearing the other woman try to explain herself, even if it was unnecessary. "You don't have to justify spending time with her, Yoohyeon, you're obviously free to spend time with whoever you want-- wait, how could she teach you bending? Aren't you an air bender?" the baker asked in confusion.</p><p>It was in that moment that the Avatar knew she had misspoke. Again. Apparently, Jiu had a special talent for getting Yoohyeon to stick her foot in her mouth. "Uh, yes I'm an air bender," she confirmed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.</p><p>The dark haired woman raised an eyebrow at this: "How is an earth bender teaching you air bending?” </p><p>“She’s not,” Yoohyeon admitted dumbly, hoping Jiu would drop the questions there, though knowing she would not.</p><p>The baker sighed, growing frustrated, and stated, “Look, Yooh, if you don’t want to be honest with me, that’s fine, just please don’t waste my time.” She didn’t get the chance to take a step towards the exit before Yoohyeon spoke again, with haste. </p><p>“Wait, please!” she begged, bringing Jiu to a halt, because <em>of course</em> she couldn’t say no to the taller woman, despite her frustrations. “The truth is: I am the Avatar. Sua was teaching me earth bending and I’ve grasped the basics, so now I’m looking for a fire bending teacher, but who knows if I’ll ever find one here in the Earth Kingdom-- oh I’m rambling I just-- That’s why I’ve been spending time with her; it has nothing to do with you,” Yoohyeon purged. </p><p>When the Avatar found out about her origins, it was shocking and difficult to process; she expected Jiu to freak out a bit after hearing the news. </p><p>Instead, the baker merely blinked, before reaffirming, “You need a fire bending teacher?” </p><p>Of all the surprising facts she presented, this was the one Jiu focused on. “Well, yes, but I don’t see how--” the silver-haired woman began.</p><p>“I’ll do it,” Jiu offered simply. </p><p>Now it was Yoohyeon’s turn to be confused. Her mind struggled to wrap around what the other woman had suggested, so all she replied was: “Huh?”</p><p>The baker smiled, amused by the girl’s dumbfounded expression, indicated by her mouth fluttering open and closed like a lizard-fish. “If that’s what it takes to get you to spend time with me these days,” she teased, “Then I will teach you fire bending.” </p><p>“You’re a fire bender? How did I not know?” Yoohyeon questioned, incredulously. </p><p>“I could ask the same of you, Miss Avatar,” came Jiu’s quick rebuttal, paired with a smirk. </p><p>“I--,” the silver-haired girl started, planning to defend herself, yet she realized the baker had a fair point. “You’re right,” Yoohyeon conceded, making the other woman giggle. There was an interim of silence, in which Jiu watched the Avatar, who was wearing her familiar thinking face: brows huddled together, scrunched nose, and lips so perfectly pouty that they compelled the baker to kiss them. </p><p>She didn’t, thanks to her strong self-control, though she did allow herself another impulsive action instead: in the form of a question. Her hands, decorated in cake batter that had long since dried, found purchase on Yoohyeon’s waist, as she stepped closer. “So,” she began, in a gentle tone, not needing to raise her voice when they were this close, “Would it be a conflict of interest if your fire bending teacher were also your girlfriend?”</p><p>The Avatar’s initial reaction was to squeak, which she did, much to Jiu’s amusement, however, her recent earth bending training had taught her to collect herself during times of panic, including times of gay panic such as this. After a deep breath, enhanced by some subtle air bending, Yoohyeon was able to reply. “I think I can make an exception for you,” she returned, hoping it would sound smooth, despite the accompanying voice crack and airy laugh. </p><p>It didn’t sound smooth, not to Jiu’s ears at least. But she didn’t want smoothness: she wanted Yoohyeon. A girl that lanky was bound to be clumsy, with actions as well as words, so it was only natural for her to stumble into the fire bender’s heart. And if the eye-smile Jiu’s face wore was an indicator, that is exactly where she wanted the Avatar to be. The baker closed the final distance, pulling her girlfriend in for a sweet, deep kiss. A kiss full of promises: of more to come, of trying, and at the very least, of adventure. </p><p>When they finally broke apart, it was only to bask in the glow of the moment, still remaining in each other’s space, with Jiu’s firm hands on Yoohyeon’s waist, whose own slender hands wrapped around the baker’s biceps, sharing the same air and grinning as if they had heard a juicy secret. Which, technically, they had. Yet, being the Avatar or a fire bender seemed insignificant compared to being a girlfriend at the moment. </p><p>They couldn’t stay there, intertwined in the kitchen, all day, no matter how convincing Yoohyeon’s lips were, so the baker needed to be the responsible one. “Darling,” Jiu said tenderly, to which Yoohyeon merely hummed in reply, her eyes still closed, features relaxed in bliss. “We cannot hide in here forever,” the baker pointed out. </p><p>“Not with that attitude,” the taller woman pouted, finally opening her eyes to whine them at her girlfriend, who promptly blocked them with one of her hands. Except, her hands were so large that the one covered most of the Avatar’s face. </p><p>“C’mon, it’s getting late. You should get home and rest, since you have fire bending training first thing in the morning!” Jiu declared.</p><p>The taller woman used her own hands to pull the baker’s from her face, dropping it between their bodies, without letting go as she answered: “I do?”</p><p>“Yup,” the dark-haired woman validated, “And I heard the teacher does not tolerate lateness,” punctuating her statement with a playful slap on Yoohyeon’s butt, finally getting the Avatar to move towards the exit.</p><p>“Okay, okay. I wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression, after all,” she said playing along as her girlfriend followed her towards the door. </p><p>“Something tells me she’ll like you just fine,” Jiu admitted, earning a giggle from the other girl. With a final kiss to Yoohyeon’s cheek, she pushed her out the kitchen doors, calling, “Bye, babe, see you bright and early,” after her. </p><p>*****</p><p>A kiss-dazed Yoohyeon had left, dragged by a teasing Yubin. Shortly thereafter, Jiu had sent Siyeon home, who had insisted she did not mind staying, yet the baker assured her it was slow enough for her to leave early and that she would still be paid for the rest of the night. And while Siyeon was a diligent employee, who was she to deny a few hours of laborless pay? </p><p>Handong, the unofficial employee, stayed behind to help Jiu clean up the shop and keep her friend company. Although, the red-haired woman’s motives were not entirely selfless: she was on a recon mission, after all. She needed to learn more about that pink-haired girl who hadn’t left her mind all day, and Jiu was her best connection at the moment. So, as they wiped down tables, with Cherry sleeping peacefully in her windowsill nook, Handong struck up a conversation. “So what happened in the kitchen that has you smiling even brighter than usual?” </p><p>Playing coy, Jiu simply hummed dismissively: “Am I?”</p><p>“Oh, please. If the sun took a double-shot of espresso, it still wouldn’t be as bright as you are right now. The grin you’re wearing is obvious,” Handong said with an eyeroll, before squinting to examine the other woman further, “and so is that hickey on your neck.” The dark-haired woman’s hand flew up to her neck even faster than the blush flew up to her cheeks. It had been such a reflex, that her logic had not come into play; only Handong’s mischievous laughter gave it away. “I’m kidding! There’s nothing on your neck, though the look on your face tells me that whatever you were doing in the kitchen was headed in that direction,” Handong jested. Jiu had forgotten that the kissing had not dipped that low, this time. </p><p>“It wasn’t like that,” the dark-haired woman defended, throwing the towel she had been cleaning with at the other woman, who was still chuckling at her own antics, “She told me she was the Avatar; I told her I could teach her fire bending, then I asked her to be my girlfriend, and we kissed, but that’s all.”</p><p>To Handong’s credit, she did not blink an eye at any of this news. She already knew Yoohyeon was the Avatar (rumor has it: she knew before Yoohyeon herself knew). And she anticipated that Jiu would subsequently volunteer her fire bending mentorship. Though the least surprising of the highly expected happenings was the baker announcing that the pair were dating. Because of course the tree leaves would change colors every autumn. Of course rain would fall when the clouds could no longer bear the burden. Of course the sun would bow to the moon each night. Of course the moon would kiss the sun awake each morning. Of course Yoohyeon would find her way to Jiu. </p><p>“Finally,” is all she said to the baker, “It only took, like 14 chapters.”</p><p>“What?” Jiu asked, bamboozled. </p><p>“Anyway, what made you hire Siyeon?” came Handong’s next question. </p><p>“Oh, well she sort of stumbled in here, pouring out her life story about how she and her sister moved here from the Southern Water Tribe, rented an apartment, and were struggling to make ends meet. I had been considering hiring someone to help out anyway, plus Cherry adored her, so she seemed like the right choice,” the fire bender shared. </p><p><em>That means Gahyeon is having difficulties paying her bills, too,</em> Handong concluded internally from that information, already formulating a plan. “She seems like a good fit; glad you met her,” is what she stated aloud, truthfully. </p><p>“Me too,” Jiu agreed, adding, “It’s almost as if we were destined to meet,” with a laugh.</p><p>The former assassin smiled softly: “Yeah, almost.”</p><p>*****</p><p>A month had passed since the Lee sisters had relocated to Omashu, which meant Siyeon feared every piece of mail that arrived at their door. Both girls had been working diligently to earn money. The older spent six days a week at the bakery (Jiu had vocalized her worries of too many working hours burning Siyeon out, yet the stubborn girl insisted she could handle it, claiming that ‘water benders can never burn out’), earning her the title: Employee of the Month, breaking Cherry’s previously uninterrupted record. Gahyeon, on the other hand, found less conventional work: spending her time on street corners with other women. The job had its risks: unreliable income and the incredible strain on her body, yet she finally felt passionate about what she was doing, as a street performer. </p><p>***** </p><p>After watching those three girls perform on her first full-day in the city weeks ago, she had stayed behind to introduce herself. Gahyeon learned that they had been performing as a group for about three years now. Most days, they explained, they did their dazzling acrobatics on street corners, bewitching passerbys, coaxing tips from their wallets. However, they were growing more popular as a group; opportunities began to arise for the act to be paid entertainment for various events. The group, known as Odd Eye Triangle, was on the up-and-up; Jinsoul, the oldest of the three, came up with the name, claiming that since there were three of them, they should be a triangle. Kim Lip, the second oldest, laughed at the suggestion, though later agreed to the name, after the eldest, who was also her girlfriend, persuaded her with upturned eyebrows and shining eyes. Choerry, the youngest of the three with the brightest, purple hair, was just excited to wear a color changing contact lens as part of their act: she couldn’t care less about their group name. They had given Gahyeon this entire backstory, right after inviting her to join their group: she had demonstrated her own acrobatic prowess when they asked if she was familiar with the concept. The preexisting members were enthusiastic about their newest member, except for Jinsoul, only because she was mourning the end of their “triangle” era, having fought so passionately for the name. Nevertheless, her grief was short-lived, as she was easily placated once Gahyeon suggested the name Odd Eye Square. And thus, the younger Lee sister had found herself out on the streets to avoid being out on the streets. </p><p>*****</p><p>In any case, Siyeon trembled at every article of mail, dreading the inevitable bill that would demand a monetary sacrifice for rent. When the envelope marked with Vivi’s return address arrived, the water bender could not help the way her stomach lurched. With bated breath, she opened the bill to see what damage her savings would endure. “Dear Resident,” the document began. “Thank you for your timely payment,” the document ended. </p><p>“Huh?” she vocalized, rescanning the sheet, searching for where it would request her payment. Yet, even upon review, she found nothing except for confirmation that the rent had been paid already.</p><p>“What’s up, Singnie?” Gahyeon asked from across the room, while glueing rhinestones to her fingernails. </p><p>“Did you already pay the rent?” Siyeon asked her, to which her sister shook her head and raised an inquisitive eyebrow, “Because it says it was already paid.” </p><p>“Really? Let me see,” the pink-haired girl requested, reaching out her non-drying hand for the paper. Her own perusal of the page led to no new discoveries. “Weird. I guess we don’t have to pay it then; woohoo!” she cheered at her conclusion. </p><p>“No, Gahyeon, that’s fraud,” Siyeon scolded her, frowning.</p><p>“How is it fraud if we never received a bill?” the younger countered.</p><p>“We can’t just <em>not</em> pay our rent,” the older stressed, ignoring her sister’s hypothetical question.</p><p>“Didn’t you read?” Gahyeon stated, shaking the letter around, “It says the rent has been paid. I think we should consider this our lucky day and celebrate.” </p><p>Despite the younger sister’s sound logic, Siyeon was still hesitant to let it go, fearful of future consequences. “I don’t know; it feels wrong,” she admitted. </p><p>“What do you mean? We were fully prepared to pay the bill; it is not our fault someone beat us to it,” Gahyeon jested, at first, then: “Seriously: if it is a clerical mistake, then surely we will receive a new bill and we can pay it then, okay?”</p><p>It was difficult to argue with her younger sister; when did she become so wise? “Okay, you’re right,” Siyeon finally agreed.</p><p>“Obviously,” the younger sister announced, tossing her hair over her shoulder. </p><p>The laugh the bender exhaled carried with it some of the stress that had been straining her these days. “How about we order a pizza, then, since we can apparently afford it now?” she suggested. Gahyeon squealed in celebratory agreement. </p><p>By the time the pizza settled heavily, comfortably, in their stomachs later that night, both sisters, particularly the eldest, felt lighter. It was a pleasant atmosphere, one they could get used to, if they weren’t careful.</p><p>“So what do you think of Sua?” asked the younger sister, unprovoked. </p><p>With an exasperated groan that was surprisingly unrelated to the four slices of pizza in her belly, the older said, “Don’t ruin the positive mood.” </p><p>The younger scoffed at her whiny sister. “Stop being a baby. She’s gorgeous and confident. I think she would be good for you,” Gahyeon encouraged. </p><p>“Not gonna happen,” Siyeon asserted, with a glare, “Why don’t you worry about your own romantic life and stay out of mine.”</p><p>“Please, I bet I could get TWO girlfriends before you could find one who would put up with your cranky ass,” she teased the older, who launched pizza crust in her direction.</p><p>“I rather have zero girlfriends than date that arrogant woman, no matter how hot she is,” she declared, hoping to get the younger girl to drop the subject.</p><p>“So you think she’s hot?” the acrobat provoked.</p><p>Siyeon could only groan, dramatically, again, despite being unable to be fully annoyed: with the burden of rent miraculously lifted and a warm night with her favorite company, how could she?</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. New Days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yoohyeon begins to train in her third element, which ignites something inside her. Handong and Yubin share their feelings before seizing an opportunity that falls into their laps. Everyone seems to be progressing, in their own ways, except for Siyeon, who is faced with more frustration. She sets off to find something: hopefully a solution.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back to me screaming. Sorry this took terribly long. I was dragging my feet with it, even procrastinating by writing two other one-shots (check them out aha). So I wrote most of this chapter in the past week, because I just got a full-time job, and I wanted to put out an update before my free-time begins to dwindle. Like I said though, I refuse to leave this fic unfinished, so it WILL have an ending, even if it takes awhile. Think of this as an exercise in patience. Thank you for waiting and continuing to read my story. Please leave me some feedback and enjoy this longer chapter! Thank you :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yoohyeon had an extra spring in her step as she went for her first ever fire bending lesson; she was careful not to fly off the ground this time, since Yubin wasn’t here to drag her back down. Normally, she was not a morning person, yet she found herself rising with the sun that day, anticipating her lesson.  By now, she had a firm understanding of earth bending, so she was looking forward to trying the next element and getting that much closer to mastering them all. </p><p>Yet, despite her studious intentions, she was most excited about seeing her girlfriend. The entire trip from her apartment to bakery, where the baker told her to meet, her mind was monopolized by the woman. </p><p>Every flower she saw: <em>Oh, Jiu would love this.</em> <br/>Every restaurant she passed: <em>Oh, I should take Jiu here.</em> <br/>Even the sun, who had only just begun to climb high into the sky, made her think of her girl: <em>Wow, the sun is bright today, almost as bright as Jiu’s smile.</em> </p><p>The only thing capable of derailing Yoohyeon’s thoughts from Jiu was, well, Jiu herself, who was standing in front of her bakery, Cherry in hand, as the Avatar approached. “Good morning, baby,” the silver-haired girl called when she was finally close enough, with her arms open wide in anticipation. The other woman happily took a step to meet her, which is when Yoohyeon’s arms gathered together to caress Cherry’s fuzzy face. “And good morning to you, too, my fire bending tutor,” she greeted playfully after thoroughly petting the bunny-dog, clarifying that Jiu was not the baby she had greeted in the first place. </p><p>"That's how you greet me after I woke up early to spend time with my favorite girl?" the baker asked in mock offense.</p><p>“I’m your favori--?” Yoohyeon began to ask. </p><p>“And then I interrupted that time with my favorite girl,” Jiu said, nuzzling into Cherry for emphasis, “just to teach you?” </p><p>And as much as Yoohyeon wanted to pout, she had to commend the baker for using her same joke against her. “Touché,” the Avatar conceded, “Shall we get started then? I wouldn’t want to waste any more of your precious time, ma’am.”</p><p>The fire bender huffs out a dramatic, teasing sigh. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” followed by, “But I’m even luckier that you’re cute, since I get to be your girlfriend,” punctuating the statement with a quick peck to the lips of a blushing Yoohyeon, “Now follow me.” </p><p>Jiu led them around the side of the building until they reached the door to the stairwell: the same door where she had met her best friend Handong, all those years ago. The memory brought a content smile to her face as she conducted the silver-haired girl up the stairs, arriving at the landing of her apartment. However, instead of inviting the girl in, the baker only opened the door enough to deposit Cherry inside, before closing it again, leaving the two women still in the stairwell. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Yoohyeon asked, perplexed. </p><p>“It would be unprofessional to invite a student into my home, especially on the first day; I don’t want you getting the wrong idea,” the fire bender replied, annoyingly, earning her an eye roll from the taller girl. “So please proceed up the next flight of stairs, pupil Yoohyeon,” she added with over-professionalism. The Avatar gave her a mock salute before following instructions. </p><p>*****</p><p>They soon found themselves on the roof of the building, bathed in early morning light. The bakery would be opening shortly, but Jiu had designated Siyeon to cover the morning shift, allowing her to focus on the task at hand. Despite being in the presence of someone she trusted dearly, the fire bender felt nervous, almost bashful. It had been years since she had openly bended in front of another person; doing it now felt like having dessert before supper: not illegal, though rather taboo. Apparently Yoohyeon could sense her hesitation: “If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, it’s really okay. Please don’t feel obligated or anything.” For someone who was apparently all powerful, Jiu found herself taken aback by how gentle and unassuming the Avatar truly was. </p><p>“No, no. It’s just been awhile since I’ve bended in front of someone else; I may be a bit rusty,” she admitted. </p><p>“Don’t worry,” the taller girl assured her, “You’re already better than I am.” The laugh she earned from the fire bender was one of pity, yet it was a laugh nonetheless.</p><p>“Okay, well, take a step back so I can warm up,” Jiu announced and Yoohyeon strode away to give her some room. Guided by a deep breath, the fire bender tapped into the ever-present warmth in her veins. With a lifetime of practice taking over, her movements became automatic, operating independent from thought. She drew her arms up her torso, guiding the quiet heat steadily towards her chest, where she then pushed her arms out in opposite directions until they were spread perpendicular to her frame, leaving vibrant flames in their wake. </p><p>Even from where she was standing, a distance away, Yoohyeon’s eyes, which sparkled in wonder, surely reflected the inferno waving through the air before her. </p><p>For Jiu, now that the fire had quite literally been reignited within her, one burst of flames was not enough. She turned her palms up towards the sky, easily summoning embers to her fingertips. Sending a proud smile to her captive audience of one, the fire bender swung her arms clockwise, ending with one draped over the top of her head, with the other resting on her lower belly; twin fans of flames illuminated the space where her hands had just passed. </p><p>As Yoohyeon prepared her hands to applaud, Jiu was already entering her next movement. With a strong push of her legs and a forward tuck of her arms, she maneuvered her body into an aerial flip, kicking flames through the air and landing neatly on her feet without a sound. She couldn’t resist giving a little bow, just like she used to do when showing her dear uncle what she had learned during her own bending lessons, all those years ago. Except this time, the loud clapping came from her very own student. </p><p>“I knew fire bending would be hot because, well, it’s fire, but you make it even hotter,” the Avatar admitted genuinely, not intending to flirt, though Jiu flushed at the remark all the same. </p><p>“I-- Thanks. I couldn’t ask for a better audience,” the dark haired woman replied warmly, prompting an equally warm smile from the other woman as well. “Now it’s your turn to try,” Jiu continued, entering a teacher frame of mind. </p><p>“Yes, ma’am,” Yoohyeon replied, with another unnecessary salute, “Tell me what to do.”</p><p>“Alright; I don’t know how it works with other bending, but for fire bending you feel ta warmth inside of you,” the fire bender explained stepping closer to the other girl, tentatively placing one hand on her abdomen and the other on her lower back, directly behind the first, “Do you feel it right in here?”</p><p>And it’s hard to say if Yoohyeon would have felt the warmth Jiu described without her hands there, yet, nestled safely between those strong palms, warmth was all she felt. She nodded at the other woman, indicating that yes, she felt it. </p><p>“Good, now move that heat up here," the fire bender instructed, moving her hands up until they held Yoohyeon's chest and upper back between them. It wasn’t easy for the Avatar to focus on that feeling, or anything really, with the fire bender’s hands on her, though she didn’t want her teacher to be disappointed. So she honed in on that heat, pushing it up into her chest where it spread its wings, like the love that was steadily growing for the other woman. Without thinking about it, a tendril of fire began curling around her arm. It startled her when she noticed: more the sight than the feeling. Fire was supposed to burn; to destroy. Or so she thought. This fire only felt <em>warm;</em> still powerful, burning, but there was only a pleasant heat without the harm. She couldn’t help but relate it back to her feelings for Jiu. </p><p>“You’re doing so well,” Jiu confirmed, proudly.</p><p>“Thanks, I had a great teacher,” Yoohyeon replied, grinning.</p><p>Jiu, mid-eyeroll: “You’re <em>so</em> corny,” she complained.</p><p>“I know; that’s why you love me, though,” the Avatar retorted, caught up in the banter. </p><p>When she realized what had left her mouth, the panic set in instantly; surely Jiu felt her body go rigid. She hadn’t meant to use the l-word and put the other woman on the spot like that, even if she had felt it herself. She steeled herself to apologize, though she never got the chance.</p><p>With the softest smile, Jiu admitted, “Yeah. I guess I do.” </p><p>*****</p><p>Handong and Yubin were walking the streets of Omashmu, on their way back from a decadent lunch (Handong’s treat), holding hands and playfully bumping shoulders. They stroll along without words, accompanied by the sounds of the city. “I’m having a really nice time, by the way,” Yubin says after some time. </p><p>An easy chuckle fell from Handong’s lips: “I didn’t know you enjoyed walking in silence that much, though I suppose it fits you well, my quiet, pensive angel,” she commented, reaching over to pinch the warrior’s plush cheek with her spare hand. </p><p>Yubin cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, yet the flush creeping up her neck betrayed her. “Hm, that’s uh, not what I was referring to. I meant this,” she explained, waving her hand between them, “Us. And even though I know there are aspects of your life that you are hiding from me, I trust you.” </p><p>One might believe that Handong’s heart had long since shriveled and died, given her line of work, yet it was beating steadily as it swelled with immense fondness for the other woman. She squeezed the hand that was still intertwined with hers. “That means so much to me. <em>You</em> mean so much to me. I hope you know the details of my life that I am withholding are for our protection. And I know I don’t have the right to decide what information you should or shouldn’t know, but it’s...complicated,” the red-haired woman tried to explain with sincerity, “But that doesn’t change how much I respect and adore you, okay? If you can be patient with me, I will tell you everything eventually, when the time is right.” </p><p>And that was enough for the warrior. Their relationship was full of so much trust, despite the secrets, and it was clear how deeply they respected each other. The older woman smiled at her, sweet and tender, until her eyes shifted to look at something over Yubin's shoulder. Yubin turned to see what she was looking at, noticing an energetic crowd. “Oh?” she inquired aloud, yet curious Handong was already dragging her in that direction to investigate. </p><p>As the pair drew closer, they caught a glimpse of bright pink beyond the crowd, causing both of their hearts to flutter as they shared a look that said <em> Could it be?</em> Excitedly, they maneuvered their way into the crowd’s interior, where their eyes confirmed their hopeful suspicions. Twisting spectacularly through the air was the girl they were crushing on: Lee Gahyeon. They watched with mouths agape as the young woman performed a graceful routine: climbing into the air as if on invisible stairs; flipping as if guided by invisible wings. The way Handong and Yubin watched her could only be described as enchanted. </p><p>Completely captivated, the duo hardly realized when the performance had ended, only indicated by the roar of the surrounding crowd, and the other performers joining Gahyeon for a final bow. </p><p>They applauded and cheered along with the other spectators, until the performers began to bustle around the premises, collecting tips. When Yubin turned to Handong, planning to plead to tip the pink-haired girl, the older woman was already rifling through her wallet. By the time Gahyeon arrived, wearing a gummy smile, Handong was prepared, handing over a <em>stack</em> of bills with a charming smirk, telling her, "This is specifically for <em>you.”</em></p><p>The acrobat’s eyes grew comically wide upon receiving enough money for 3 months of rent; she wanted to say some sort of thank you mixed with a you-shouldn’t-have, but her group members were calling her over before her mind was able to formulate coherent. So she stumbled away, still in shock, casting repeated glances over her shoulder at the apparent couple, given the way their arms were intertwined, who had tipped her so generously.</p><p>"Gahyeon, what's up? Why do you look so startled?" Kim Lip asked when she had finally joined them.</p><p>"I--" she began, though not truly knowing what to say. "Those two hot women handed me a ridiculous amount of money," she summarized finally. </p><p>"<em>What?</em>" replied the rest of Odd Eye Square in unison.</p><p>"They pressed a pile of bills into my hand and emphasized how they were for <em>meidiot.</em></p><p>“Oh, there’s no need; they’re coming this way. Good luck, Gahyeon, see you tomorrow!” Choerry announced, grabbing the other two girls and dragging them away before the pink-haired girl could protest. </p><p>Moments later, she was greeted with, “Hey, you were amazing!” When Gahyeon turned around, she saw the two women a step away. The woman with shorter, brown hair was smiling kindly, while the woman with long, red hair had her arm slung over her shoulders, eyeing Gahyeon as if she were a subject to be studied. </p><p>As if her sharp gaze weren’t intimidating enough, her deep tone of voice was enough to make Gahyeon gulp (she hoped the woman didn’t notice) ((the woman did)). “She’s right; you’re stunning,” agreed the taller woman, leaving Gahyeon unsure if she was referring to her performance, or just her in general.</p><p>“T-thanks,” the acrobat managed, then cleared her throat, “And thank you for that absurdly generous tip. That was totally unexpected and unnecessary--”</p><p>“Nonsense. You deserve that and more. I’m Yubin, by the way,” the shorter woman declared, “And this is Handong.”</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Gahyeon,” she replied. </p><p>“We know your name, darling; we saw you the other day at the bakery. We didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves, given the chaos that ensued, but we were both immediately charmed,” Handong added. </p><p>"Sorry, I don't remember…" Gahyeon admitted bashfully.</p><p>"Why don't you allow us to give you a night you'll be bound to remember then?" Handong suggested boldly.</p><p>Gahyeon was taken aback by the suggestion of being whisked away by not one, but <em>two</em> strangers. And yet, seemingly on their own accord, her lips were saying, "Okay." Then she was accepting the offer of their arms, linking them with her own, and allowing herself to be whisked away into the evening.</p><p>*****</p><p>The end of the month approached rapidly with everyone making progress in their lives. </p><p>Jiu spent more time away from the bakery, which felt like dropping her child off at school for the first time, though she knew she was leaving her baby in Siyeon's capable hands. Her time away allowed her to train Yoohyeon in fire bending more often. And, not to stroke her own ego, but the Avatar was becoming quite skilled under her tutelage. </p><p>Even Yoohyeon's earth bending abilities were remarkably impressive; she could now pass for a natural earth bender, which helped her blend in during her time in the city. Apparently, Sua was competent as both an earth bending trainer AND a headache inducer. </p><p>As much as she complained about Sua, Jiu had to admit that the cheeky little woman was growing on her. Whether she was growing on her like a rash or like a floral vine had yet to be determined, though they certainly worked well together during the times Yoohyeon had requested a joint training session. Jiu believed it was Sua’s fiery personality that she found oddly comforting, reminding her of her uncle in a way.</p><p>While Sua had secretly won over Jiu, she had no such luck in gaining the blue-haired water bender’s affections. She had never met a person so resistant to her charms. In the past, she only needed to show off a few of her earth bending moves to make anyone swoon. With Siyeon, however, it <em>almost</em> seemed as if her earth bending were making the bakery worker dislike her more. </p><p>Most recently, she went into the bakeshop to chat up her crush, as usual, and used the line, "Let me rock your world, baby," punctuated with a floating rock she had summoned from the building's foundation.</p><p>"Bending is NOT a toy," Siyeon had scolded her, not remotely impressed.</p><p>"I'll show you a toy," the earth bender responded smoothly (her description). </p><p>And that's how she ended up sitting in a puddle on the street, washed out of the bakery by a tidal wave coaxed from the sink. It seemed she had her work cut out for her, though Sua was not the type to accept an outcome other than victory. She didn’t plan to give up.</p><p>As for Jiu, she would never admit to the earth bender that she was growing fond of her; no one could afford for Sua’s ego to grow any larger. So it was a secret between her and Yoohyeon, who she easily coerced into silence (“If you tell Sua I kind of like her now, you will NEVER be the little spoon again.” Once Yoohyeon stopped crying at the mere thought, she took her vow of secrecy). The “threat” had been empty, of course: Jiu could hardly deny her girlfriend of the slightest whim and she only grew more endeared to her with each passing day. </p><p>Then there was Handong, Yubin, and Gahyeon. The acrobat had walked hand-in-hand with the two bold women and no expectations that evening, ending up at the zoo. It was a mystery to her how they could have guessed she had always wanted to go to one, however she decided to take it as a sign of fate. </p><p>She couldn't remember that last time she experienced such joy; the way Yubin would imitate each animal perfectly, making her squeal in delight, as Handong laughed at their antics with such glowing fondness. They made sure to walk her home, after Yubin had won her a stuffed penguin-seal, each kissing her on the cheek as they bid her good night. When they told her they would give her an evening she would not soon forget, they kept their promise. The time the acrobat spent with them instantly became her most cherished memory and she couldn't get enough. </p><p>Which led her to meet them in the park, the very next morning. She was greeted with matching kisses on her cheeks, rapidly becoming her new favorite thing. Time passed lazily, steadily, as the trio spoke: telling stories and learning about one another. With every shared laugh, every brush of a limb, every earnest look, Gahyeon felt more and more at home. </p><p>Yet, she tried to keep her guard up, despite how comfortable they made her feel. Because even though she enjoyed the glow of being in their spotlight, did she have the right? They were clearly a couple, proved time and again by their shared kisses and affectionate language, so where did that leave her? </p><p>"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" the Kyoshi warrior asked her as they sat on a picnic blanket, enjoying the brunch Handong had prepared. </p><p>"It's nothing; don't worry," Gahyeon tried to brush it off.</p><p>Handong reached over, placing an encouraging hand on her forearm. "Hey, even though we only technically met yesterday, I want you to feel safe enough to speak with us about anything," the eldest told her.</p><p>Gahyeon smiled back at her, brightly. "I know, and I do, it's just…" she trailed off, not sure how to express what she felt. </p><p>So Handong jumped in. "You feel some sort of butterflies, the beginning of romantic feelings, but you're hesitant to accept them because we are already a couple and you don't know where you would fit?" she vocalized on behalf of the younger girl.</p><p>Gahyeon could only blink in response to being read so accurately. “Well, yes; exactly,” she agreed. </p><p>Handong hadn’t removed her hand from the pink-haired girl’s arm: it was now rubbing soothing patterns into her skin. Yubin’s hand came to rest gently on her other arm before she spoke: “We think you would fit perfectly right between us, if you would like to be there.” Even though she had rehearsed the offer with Handong earlier, now that she had said it aloud, she feared Gahyeon’s reply. It wasn’t the most conventional dynamic: would it make the younger girl uncomfortable? Would she laugh at the ridiculous suggestion? </p><p>“Are you asking me to date you? <em>Both</em> of you?” Gahyeon clarified.</p><p>At this point, Handong’s free hand worked its way into Yubin’s, to comfort the warrior as well as herself. The assassin had remained calm, collected, during countless high-pressure situations where lives were literally on the line, yet she finally experienced nervousness in this moment, for the first time. With a steadying breath to push away the fear of rejection, she said: “Yes. We would love to call you our girlfriend, if you also want that? We will always have open communication and treat you with the utmost respect, of course. You’re just really cute and--” the red-haired woman had <em>never</em> rambled before, which perhaps was a testament to how genuine her feelings were. </p><p>However, her rambling was short lived, because instead of trying to use words to do the trick, Gahyeon merely leaned forward to cut off her speech with a kiss. By instinct, Handong responded in kind, as if it were the only option, as if this were in their nature. It was short, yet held the answer Handong had been hoping for. And then the younger girl pulled the warrior over to give her the same answer. </p><p>That delightful afternoon became the first of many, along with soft mornings, cozy nights, and adoration-filled moments in between. It surprised the trio, how simply they found their rhythm. Somehow their biggest challenge in the month or so they had been together was who would get to sleep in the middle. They had always been told that three was a crowd, though they never felt crowded. Through it all, their only regret had been not finding one another sooner.</p><p>*****</p><p>Despite everyone seeming to prosper as the month came to a close, Siyeon returned to the state of fearing every piece of mail again. </p><p>“Will you relax? When the bill comes, we’ll make it work,” Gahyeon called from where she was sprawled out on the couch, “I’ve been making a lot in tips lately.”</p><p>Siyeon rolled her eyes at the claim. “That’s just because your girlfriends are dramatic and insist on giving you extravagant gratuities for every performance,” she corrected the younger sister. </p><p>Instead of disagreeing, Gahyeon said simply, “And what about it?” with a shrug. </p><p>A knock on their apartment door interrupted their conversation, followed by the dropping of envelopes through the mail slot. With slumped shoulders, the older sister retrieved the letters and sifted through the stack. Her eyes found the expected article from the realtor office, causing her to sigh in disappointment. Bills were inevitable, but that wouldn’t stop her from deflating upon seeing each one. </p><p><em>At least we got a break last month with that mistake,</em> she thought, ripping open the envelope. </p><p>And there it was again: <em>Thank you for your prompt payment!</em> staring back at her from the bottom of the identical page from the month prior. </p><p>“Okay, what’s going on?” she voiced, slightly annoyed. One would think she would be excited about her rent being taken care of again, but Siyeon knew this had to be a game; she was not the type to have such good fortune without strings attached. “Are you paying the bills behind my back? Because that’s not fair. I said I would take care of you when we moved here, and I meant it: I’m in charge of the expenses,” she told her sister sternly.</p><p>Gahyeon’s confusion was apparent on her face. “It’s not me, I swear,” she promised her.</p><p>The water bender furrowed her brows: “How could they make this mistake twice?” she muttered to herself, though her sister overheard.</p><p>“Who cares! We finally have some good luck, let’s enjoy it,” the younger girl insisted. </p><p>Siyeon sent her a sharp look. “No. It is wrong to take advantage of others’ mistakes, even if it is convenient. I’m going to the real estate office to get to the bottom of this,” she explained, gathering her essentials. “I’ll see you later,” she added before closing the door to drown out the exasperated groan of her sister.</p><p>*****</p><p>“It isn’t a mistake, Miss Lee. The rent for your apartment has been paid in full,” Vivi clarified after Siyeon had met with her to highlight the error in their billing over the past two months. </p><p>“But I never paid it,” Siyeon admitted, expecting Vivi to be shocked, or at least angry.</p><p>“Your bill was paid, Miss Lee,” is all the realtor replied.</p><p>“Well, can I pay for next month’s rent while I’m here?” the blue-haired woman asked, still not understanding.</p><p>“No,” Vivi stated simply, hoping the other woman would accept it and move on.</p><p>“Why not?” Siyeon asked, not accepting it nor moving on.</p><p>Vivi sighed, rubbing her eyes in muted irritation due to the necessary discretion of the situation. “Because,” she began, “your bills have been redirected to a third party, who has elected to remain anonymous.” </p><p>“Why would someone do that?” came Siyeon’s question following her immediate surprise.</p><p>“I cannot disclose that,” Vivi told her. </p><p>“Is there anything you CAN disclose?” Siyeon complained.</p><p>“The plant in the lobby is fake,” she stated, unblinking. </p><p>Siyeon was not amused. “I would like to speak to your boss, please,” the water bender asked respectfully, just wanting to get some answers. </p><p>Vivi hummed thoughtfully for a few moments. “I suppose you could speak to the landlord,” she relented. “They authorized me to send clients to this address if a problem ever arose,” Vivi told her, scrawling an address on a scrap of paper. She handed it to Siyeon then checked her watch, “They should be available; you can head there now.” </p><p>With a final thank you to Vivi for her trouble, Siyeon set off to find the address of her landlord and hopefully some answers that would put her guilt to rest.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Clean</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Siyeon talks to her landlord, getting answers to questions she didn't initially have. It was supposed to be a quick visit, but it grew into one that would last a lifetime. Handong, Yubin, and Gahyeon get messy in the living room with open-minds and open-hearts. Yoohyeon's goofy ass receives information she may not have expected, though she takes it surprisingly well.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And we're back! After the longest time! Sorry about that. Hopefully this will be worth the wait. I'm surprisingly happy with the way this chapter turned out. I tried to tie up some loose ends because this is going to be one of the last chapters. There is still more to come; the story is not over! But the end is coming. Anyway, please enjoy and leave me feedback on here or on Twitter @fireminji :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Siyeon was not impressed by the luxury of the building, though she certainly noticed it. Coming from a life of humble igloos did not leave her with an appreciation, nor desire, for glitz and glam. However, she recognized that a landlord would of course have extravagant living quarters, given their expertise. In any case, Siyeon's boots clacked against the flawless floor until she reached the only door on that level, knocking firmly against it. After a brief commotion coming from the inside, the door swung open to reveal the landlord. </p>
<p>Siyeon had to shift her eyes downward; they had been fixed higher, expecting some tall, arrogant man. Instead, there was Sua, standing on the other side of the threshold. Unlike her usual put-together self, Sua looked casual, borderline messy. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, though more strands seemed to fall loose than were secured. She wore a matching lavender sweatshirt and sweatpants, covered by an apron which read "If You Think My Tteokbokki Is Spicy, Wait Til You Taste Me!" The apron, in turn, was covered in sauce stains and batter splatters. </p>
<p>Before Siyeon could help it, she <em>swooned<em> at the sight. The shorter woman before her just looked so soft, she almost reached out to pinch her chee-- </em></em></p>
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    <em><em>What are you thinking? This is Sua, you fool.</em> The thought made her scowl. </em>
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    <em>"Siyeon? What are you doing here?" the earth bender asked, wiping her hands on that ridiculous apron. </em>
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    <em>Crossing her arms over her chest defensively, Siyeon replied, "I came here to speak to my landlord, but I suddenly rather do anything else, so I'll be on my way." </em>
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    <em>As she turned, Sua spoke: "Wait! You came all this way; why don't you just tell me what the problem is?" But the blue-haired woman was already walking towards the elevator. Sua grew desperate. With a wave of the earth bender’s hand, Siyeon's feet were leading her back to Sua’s door, the stone floor having forcibly shifted under her. </em>
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    <em>At first, she was disoriented. Then, she was angry. "Who do you think you are? You can't just use your bending to bend people to your will! They're not your fucking puppets!" Siyeon snapped with venom that had been hibernating ever since that cursed night. It clicked then that all of her ill feelings towards the shorter woman were exaggerated projections. Sure, she was a bit of an egomaniac, using her bending too frivolously for Siyeon's taste, but she didn't deserve to be the target of her misplaced rage. Pangs of guilt stroked her heart, coaxing her to apologize.</em>
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    <em>What Siyeon didn't realize, too engrossed in the realm of her own mind, was that the other woman hadn't even flinched; her face was as controlled as it had been before, seemingly unbothered by the water bender’s verbal lashing. Years of ridicule and harsh words from her family left Sua with thick, scar-covered skin.</em>
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    <em>"Look, I'm--" Siyeon began, swallowing her pride, only to be interrupted by the scream of a pot boiling over in the kitchen.</em>
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    <em>"<em>Fuck</em>," Sua announced in annoyance. "Here, just come inside," she told Siyeon, grabbing her wrist and dragging her into the apartment before she could protest. </em>
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    <em>Oddly enough, Siyeon let herself be dragged; the thought of being away from the earth bender right now was…not what she wanted, though she couldn't name why. Surely it was because she still needed to apologize, and not how cute the other woman looked with furrowed brows, tongue poking out in concentration as she willed the unruly pot into submission. When the earth bender’s attention wasn't fixed on pestering Siyeon, she was rather attractive, the water bender noticed. But that had nothing to do with Siyeon's desire to stay right there.</em>
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<p>
  <em>
    <em>She admired the kitchen fairy, the way she fluttered around tending to far too many pots and pans for an individual cooking for one. The <em>ding!<em> of the oven's timer finally broke her fond trance. </em></em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>Siyeon cleared her throat to gain the attention of the other woman, who, for once, paid her no mind. "I'm here because I need to know who is paying my bills each month and I want them to stop."</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>With a clink of her spoon against what seemed to be a now under-control dish, Sua turned to her, tilting her head thoughtfully. "So YOU'RE that tenant?"</em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>"Yes, my sister and I are renting an apartment that you own, apparently," she confirmed, finding it odd that Sua hadn't known she was her tenant; <em>I guess she's not the benefactor, then,<em> thought Siyeon.</em></em></em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Oh, that makes sense. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the identity of the individual; there is a nondisclosure agreement," the landlord stated unhelpfully. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Siyeon stomped her foot in frustration, prepared to refute, but the other woman raised a silencing hand: a tiny, cute little hand that would fit perfectly in Siyeon's-- </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>
              <em>Stop.</em>
            </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Before you complain, I should mention that if I had known such a beautiful woman was renting the apartment, I never would have charged you in the first place."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"That's actually super corrupt; you're crazy," Siyeon pointed out.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Yeah, crazy about you, sweetheart," replied Sua with a wink. Well, a graceleas attempt at a wink, which definitely dampened the delivery, but a wink nonetheless.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Siyeon brought her thumb and forefinger up to pinch the bridge of her nose, hoping to stave off the impending headache. If only the headache weren't standing directly across from her. With a deep sigh, she tried to assess her options. "You're not going to accept any money from me, are you?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Nope!" she replied with the most irritating grin that Siyeon wanted to kiss right off her fac--</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em><em>Can you STOP?</em> Siyeon scolded herself for the intrusion. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Well, is there some other way I can repay you?" she tried to bargain.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You mean like, with your body…?" the pro bender asked, mostly confused, with a pinch of hope.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No, what the fuck?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Right, of course, I was just kidding...unless?" </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Okay, yeah, got it. Joking aside, I would actually love if you could give me a real chance? I know I came on a little strong, which may have felt disingenuous, but I DO really like you. So, if you would do me the honor, please stay for dinner?" Sua asked with sincerity. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Between the delicious aromas appealing to her stomach, and the wide, gleaming eyes appealing to her heart, she wouldn't have been able to say no even if she wanted to. And for reasons still hidden from her, she didn't want to. She pretended to mull it over, simply to make the other woman squirm, before finally sighing out, "Fine. But it better be a spectacular dinner."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I'll let the food speak for itself," Sua replied confidently, setting a bowl of tteokbokki in front of the blue-haired woman. She smiled around the very first spoonful, a habit that continued throughout the evening.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>*****</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>And so it went on like that, each woman keeping their promise. Siyeon giving her a chance and Sua genuinely trying. To the water bender’s pleasant surprise, the other woman was not nearly as obnoxious as she had originally believed her to be. When she wasn't trying so intently to be perfect, Siyeon found her to be quite charming, in a human sort of way. Her laugh, the genuine one, not the tailored one to prevent disruption, was far too loud, piercing her ears in the most foul way; it alerted birds and sea life alike, yet the water bender found it delightful. All of her quirks endeared her to the blue-haired woman in a way her showboating and pick-up lines never would. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>It had been about a month since Siyeon and Sua began spending more time together; they weren't <em>dating,</em> though they were certainly dating adjacent. Sharing meals, exploring the city and it's outskirts, falling asleep, huddled together on the couch after laughing themselves all the way to dreamland. Their friends around them, particularly Handong, the all knowing, noticed them growing closer, though they kept quiet, not wanting to spook either girl. Because the pair were enjoying what they had together, in all it's ambiguity: it was warm, it was bright, and it was completely foreign to them.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>For Sua, she had never moved so slowly, in any regard. Her energy was hardly contained in her small frame; everything she did was quick and precise, like the strike of a clock hand. Then Siyeon came and ruined everything, rebuffing her initial pursuit, swatting away all of her lines and moves that had never failed before. Sua was sprinting but Siyeon wanted to stroll. Thus, Sua started to stroll, treating Siyeon like the baby cat-bat she had once nursed back to health: no sudden movements, the gentlest touches, and sincerest care. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>She would lie in bed at night, alone (ever since she met Siyeon, she always slept alone), and wonder why she was trying with such vigor to woo this girl? She could have <em>anyone</em> she wanted, <em>however</em> she wanted, with the barest of efforts. Yet she spent her time, inching her way into Siyeon's graces. Because being on the receiving end of the water bender's rare, nose-crinkling smiles made her heart race more than the rush of competition; than the heat of a passionate night. Funny how trivial all those things seemed compared to her need to make Siyeon happy, no matter the pace.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>For Siyeon, having a companion she could trust, even remotely, was so soothing that it was unsettling. She wasn't the type to want or need friends (they were often disappointing). Yet Sua was a welcomed alien in her life. It had started brashly, with the earth bender saying all the wrong words, dancing all the wrong steps, raising Siyeon's blood pressure in the worst way. Though the shorter woman must have put something special in the meal she had cooked the first night because everything changed since then. She started listening, really listening, to her wants, respecting her boundaries. Siyeon was an excellent swimmer, naturally, although suddenly she felt as if she were out in the sea, trying to keep her head above the waves. It was scary, unknown, but she didn't want to get out of the water. If anything she was compelled to go deeper. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Truly, it was remarkable how at ease Siyeon felt with the other woman. There was only one real source of discomfort: everywhere they would go, Sua insisted on paying. With most things, she would bend to Siyeon's requests, though this was the exception. The blue-haired woman would suggest more affordable options, going for a walk along the river instead of champagne and lobster dinners, but the pro bender refused to compromise on her luxuries, and refused to let Siyeon pay for any of it. To clarify, the water bender always enjoyed herself, no matter what the other woman planned for them; she was grateful, yes, yet plagued with guilt. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>They were at a bar tonight. Nothing too extravagant: drinks, live music, cherished time together. After her 5th glass of plum wine, which Sua had instructed the bartender to keep filled and put on her tab, Siyeon could no longer hold her tongue. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I know what you're doing," she announced.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Sua tilted her head in that adorable way that made Siyeon feel like cotton candy submerged in water: consumed by sweetness and instantly dissolving. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>
              <em>Ooh, you want to kiss her so bad.</em>
            </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>By now it wasn't the first time she had such an irritatingly correct thought. But now wasn't the time for that. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>“You’re trying to spoil me,” Siyeon accused. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Sua pursed her lips: “That’s not true,” she denied. “I am successfully spoiling you.”</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Siyeon rolled her eyes at the reply that was just so Sua. “Well, you need to stop,” she chastised. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>“You don’t enjoy it, honey?” </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>“No no, it’s not that I don’t enjoy it; I DO, very much,” the water bender explained hastily, not wanting to seem unappreciative, “I just, feel guilty, I guess. Because I can’t reciprocate.” </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The shorter woman reached her hand over to take hers. She wasn’t a fire bender, Siyeon knew, yet the touch of her hand sent immediate heat throughout her being. “You know I don’t do any of this in hopes of getting something in return, right?” she assured the taller woman. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Siyeon squeezed the little hand with her own, fully encompassing one. “I know, I know. But I want to be doing more for you in return. Are you sure there isn’t something I can do? It would make me feel much better if there were.” </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>She had to dig deep into her brain, trying to find something to help Siyeon feel more comfortable. It was surprisingly difficult, though, since Sua had everything she could need, especially now with the other woman as a staple in her life. With the water bender, she was finally learning to put the needs of someone else above her own. So she tried to extend that sentiment when thinking of what to request from the water bender. And then it clicked. “Actually,” she began, “My friend could use a water bender teacher. You seem to have a contentious relationship with your bending, so there’s no pressure or anything.  My friend is struggling to find a water bender in the city, though, so I thought I would ask.” </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>It surprised her that Sua had been perceptive enough to notice her strained relationship with her bending. It surprised her more how easily she agreed to the request. “Of course,” her mouth complied before collaborating with her mind. If she wanted to change her decision, she never had the chance, because suddenly Sua’s eyes were sparking like fireworks and she surged forward to kiss Siyeon’s cheek. With warm, creamy lips against her cheek, her mind held firm: she would drown her demons and teach water bending. For Sua. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>*****</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You need to stay still if you want me to do this," Handong instructed firmly. Gahyeon’s whine of protest was immediate, making the older woman smirk.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Please don't stop; we'll be good," she promised, "Right, babe?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Yubin grunted in, arching her back a bit more. "I <em>am</em> being good. You're the one who keeps moving." This time the pink-haired girl let out a displeased <em>hmph.</em></em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You get to recline, of course it's easier for you to stay still when you're more comfortable," she pointed out to the warrior who was leisurely, yet elegantly, draped across the leather couch in Handong’s penthouse. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Is my lap not comfortable enough for you, your highness?" Yubin mocked lightly, pinching the younger girl's hips as she sat upon her. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Well, you're a little boney…" </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"If you're uncomfortable we can stop," Handong interrupted to remind them.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No," they agreed, "Please continue the portrait."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Then stop changing positions,"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Gahyeon just huffed, dramatic as usual, hoping if she pouted enough her girlfriends would take pity on her. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Like clockwork: "Actually we can take a break here and let this layer of paint dry," the eldest announced. The acrobat grinned in victory, immediately flopping back against her girlfriend, who let out an <em>oof</em> as the air was pushed out of her on impact. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You always give in to her so easily; this is why she's so spoiled," Yubin complained, against the very cheek of the spoiled girl in question, that was pressed against her own face, mid-snuggle. All while carding her fingers through the pink hair tenderly.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Their girlfriend came over to join them on the couch, lifting both of their legs up so that she could slip underneath them.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>“Well,” she said, leaning over to cup Gahyeon’s cheeks, “I think a face like this deserves to be spoiled.” The youngest giggled, soaking up the praise and Yubin hummed in agreement, unable to disagree. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>“Oh, speaking of spoiled, want to hear something strange?” It was a rhetorical question, of course, because the two older girls were always a captive audience for the youngest. “Okay, so ever since we moved into our apartment, my sister was worried about being able to pay our bills. However, when it was time for our first payment, we got a letter saying it was already paid for. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were that the billing office made a mistake. But get this: the next month rolled around, and the same thing happened! It’s like we have a sugar mommy or something, isn’t that crazy?” </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Yubin hummed in agreement, while Handong, on the other hand, took sudden interest in her cuticles. When she didn't comment, her girlfriends were quick to notice. "Dongie?" Gahyeon prodded.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You deserve to be spoiled," she repeated with a noncommittal shrug.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"It's YOU?" the acrobat exclaimed. "But you didn't even know me when it started. That doesn't make sense." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The red-haired woman turned to smile warmly at her girlfriend now. "I only needed to see your pudgy little cheeks and hear your ridiculous laugh once to know you should never have to struggle to make ends meet again."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Then Gahyeon was launching herself across the couch to shower her oldest girlfriend with kisses. "I love you, I love you, I love you," she chanted between them, making the recipient laugh richly. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You're both so cute," Yubin added with great fondness, affectionately admiring the scene from her vantage point.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Our mighty warrior is softer than wet clay it seems," Handong teased, making the warrior roll her eyes, though not denying it.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Yeah, yeah, but only for you two," she amended. "Speaking of clay, shouldn't you finish your work of art?" </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Hmm, but I already have two works of art right here." Her cheesy reply was met with boos from the other girls. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I want to see how it looks so far," Gahyeon announced, rising to her feet.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Me too," Yubin agreed, following her. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Handong was self-aware enough to recognize her skill in painting, and most other abilities for that matter. She knew the painting was turning out well, yet with the two people whose opinions she valued most looking at it, a sudden shyness overcame her. "It's not done yet!" feeling the urgent need to remind them when she heard a pair of gasps.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"This is the only painting ever," Yubin declared.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I don't think that's right; I've seen other paintings," disagreed Handong.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"That's not true."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"How did you do this so well?" Gahyeon asked then.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>If anyone other than her darling little cupcake had asked such a stupid question, she would have given them a sarcastic answer ("With paint."). Instead: "It takes a lot of layering and a deep understanding of perspective. I've had years of practice."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Will you teach me?" the acrobat asked.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Of course. Here, help me add highlights," she said, approaching the easel and palette. "Grab that brush there, yes, that one. Now dip it in this pale yellow here--yep, not too much--perfect." As she instructed, she naturally positioned herself behind the youngest, placing a gentle hand on her lower back and looking over her shoulder to get a better view of the canvas. Yubin drifted towards them, as if the invisible string connecting them all could only stretch so far before drawing them back together. She wrapped her arms around them both from the side, allowing her a view of the painting as well. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"When light hits the subject, it leaves highlights, which fall in different places, depending on the direction of the light source," the oldest explained, volume low given their close proximity. Gahyeon nodded, fully focused on the task at hand.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You're so hot when you talk painting to us," mentioned the warrior. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Her girlfriend rolled her eyes, used to her antics. "I'm always hot. Now hush. Gahyeon, sweetie, trying putting a dot of paint right in the pupil there." The pink-haired girl did as she was told, moving the brush forward ever so carefully, wanting to get it right. She pressed the brush to the canvas right where she was directed, leaving the perfect highlight. Immediately filled with excitement and pride, her first instinct was to turn to celebrate with her partners. Except, the previous care in which she wielded the paintbrush was no more; the wet brush whirled around with her, only stopping when it hit Yubin’s cheek. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The youngest's mouth rounded open in surprise. "Oh, honey, I'm so sor--" And then there was a smear of red paint across her own face: the aftermath of her girlfriend's retaliation. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No worries," the warrior said innocently. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Gahyeon touched the afflicted area, seeing red on her fingers when she pulled back. "Now my face looks all bloody," she complained.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Mm, no it doesn't. Blood is darker, cooler than this shade of red. It's more viscous as well," Handong corrected.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Wow, you know a lot about blood…?" the youngest noted.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Yeah, what are you: a secret phlebotomist?" Yubin added.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No," she laughed, "I'm afraid of needles." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Then a pause. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I'm one of the most lethal assassins in the four kingdoms, though."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Silence.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Huh?" Gahyeon was the first to reply.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Handong took a breath, steeling herself. She didn't expect now to be the time to reveal herself, to ruin the best thing that had ever happened to her, but she couldn't take it back. "It's true. I haven't taken a job in a while, but I used to be paid very well to eliminate my targets," she explained to shocked ears. "If it makes any difference, I only took assignments that I believed in. Ones where the removal of that individual would benefit the greater good. I understand if you can't think of me the same anymore. If you can't love me anymore," finishing with her voice cracking on the last line for the first time in her life. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Well, if you thought it was for the best, then that's that," Yubin decided after some thought, as if this were a conversation about what color to paint their bedroom wall.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>A smaller hand was squeezing her own then, grabbing her attention. "You're still our Dongie," Gahyeon agreed. And she was. She was theirs and they were hers. She found not one, but two loves and she wasn't going to let them go.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Um, can you let us go. You're crushing my ribs, babe," Yubin interjected when the unconscious hug Handong had enveloped them in became too constricting. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"No," Handong replied, increasing her grip, making her girls giggle. Rumor has it they're still standing in that hug: faces messy with paint that had since transferred from face to face via kisses and cheek squishes; hearts messy with the residual fear of loss, the relief of staying, and love in spite of it all.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>*****</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Yoohyeon had stayed behind to help Jiu close up. The Avatar considered herself an honorary employee, with all the responsibilities of one and none of the paycheck. Not that Jiu would pay her, considering she never actually completed any of her responsibilities. But the bakery owner found it cute how her girlfriend believed she was helping when she mostly just ate frosting with a spatula and played with Cherry, so she welcomed her presence. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Tonight, Yoohyeon washed one single whisk before announcing that she would go to the roof to take a break and practice her bending. Jiu shook her head with a laugh, kissing her on the cheek anyway as she disappeared out the door. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>What Jiu didn't know was that her girlfriend wasn't just slacking off. She was setting up the rooftop so they could watch the sunset together. It took some time, though she was pleased with the end result: blankets and pillows forming a make-shift bed, bottles of wine chilling in a bucket (red for Jiu; white for her), and torches that she lit with her own fire bending, in which she had become quite skilled. All that was missing was her beloved. And some pie. Both of which she went back to the bakery to retrieve. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>*****</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Excuse me, ma'am, can I get one cherry pie to go?" Yoohyeon requested upon entering the shop. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"We're actually closed right now," Jiu played along, looking up from the counter she was cleaning, "but you're pretty cute, so I'll make an exception." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"That's great news! I'm actually getting this pie to share with my girlfriend," she announced proudly, leaning in closer, "I set up a spot on the roof for us to watch the sunset together. Hopefully she'll be free."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu gave her a very exaggerated once-over, whilst biting her life. "I think she'd make time for someone like you," she told her, winking. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Even after all this time, Yoohyeon released a flustered screech. "Um, yeah, cool, hehe, uh-- so how about that pie?" </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Box it up. I'll grab some forks, then we can lock up and go catch that sunset."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>*****</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu was moved when she saw the careful arrangement Yoohyeon had prepared for them, covering her girlfriend in gratitude kisses. They wasted no time in tucking themselves, and their pie, under the blankets, not wanting to miss how the sun painted the sky as it retired for the evening. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>For some time, they laid there, mostly silent, except for the satisfied hums around forkfuls of pie. It was peaceful; they each imagined staying like that forever. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"You know, I never really stood a chance," Yoohyeon decided out of the blue.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu turned to look at her. "Huh?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Falling in love with you. It was destined to happen," she said simply. The fire bender nuzzled into her neck, smiling so widely that the Avatar could feel it against her skin. "Especially when you make pies as delicious as this," she added. With anyone else, it would've ruined the moment, but Jiu it made sense. She laughed softly, hugging her from the side and kissing her neck with affectionate innocence. "Seriously, when we have kids, I'm naming the first one Pie," she half-joked. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Warm puffs of air tickled the Avatar's neck as the other woman laughed again. Then they ceased when the implication of the statement hit the fire bender.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>
              <em>Kids.</em>
            </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The thought scared her. Not because she didn't want them. With Yoohyeon, she wanted everything: kids, a home, growing old together. She wanted it all. But for her, having children wouldn't be that simple. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Always attuned, the other woman noticed her shift in mood. "What's wrong?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The question was simple, yet so earnest, as expected from her beloved, that it unlocked the heavily guarded vault in Jiu's mind. It was time to come clean. "Honey, having children would be...complicated, for us."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I know: we've done it enough times to prove that we'll need a third party. We can always adopt, though. I don't mind," Yoohyeon said affectionately.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>She swatted the silver-haired woman; she loved her big, genuine, idiot, but now wasn't the time for jokes. "That's not what I meant," she sighed. Then there was the other woman, lacing their fingers together, grounding her while raising her up. She helped her keep going. "Do you know why I hid my fire bending?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Squeezing her hand in reassure, she told her, "I'm sure you had your reasons."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Being as understanding as she was almost made it more difficult for Jiu, yet it also encouraged her to tell the truth. She deserved it. "Yoohyeon, I'm not just A fire bender; I'm THE fire bender: heir to the fire nation throne. Or, at least, I was. Until I ran away," she admitted with the slightest hint of bitterness.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Yoohyeon hummed thoughtfully, looking for the right words that danced out of reach. Settling instead on what she did best: nuzzling into her girlfriend's neck, painting peace there with steady breaths. And while this eased Jiu physically (as it always did: her body had long since attuned itself to Yoohyeon's actions, the bold, intentional and the subtle, subconscious ones alike), her mind continued to fret.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Do you understand the implications of what that means?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Mm, that you're probably a sexy, natural red-head?"</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Babe, seriously: it makes having children more difficult. What happens when they are old enough to start asking about their relatives? I wouldn't be able to hide their heritage from them; that's not right," she said, somewhere between guilt and sadness. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>But Yoohyeon just kissed her gently on the forehead in response. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Doesn't this bother you? That we can't have children without the drama of royal lineage?" she asked her lover, feeling undeserving of her sweet demeanor. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The Avatar shrugged. "We'll just have bunny-dogs then: they won't care about who you used to be. Besides, Pie would be a more appropriate name for a pet than a child."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu felt tears blossom in her eyes. She had been dreading this conversation, revealing the last piece of her hidden past, especially after Yoohyeon had been so forthcoming with her own. She couldn’t have asked for a more sympathetic response and she felt unworthy. As she processed the other woman's understanding words, it reminded her. "Oh, Jiu isn't my real name, by the way."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>The younger woman didn't flinch at the news, her heartbeat remained the same as far as Jiu, who had her ear pressed against, could tell. "Do you want it to be?" Yoohyeon asked her. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>She thought about the question for a long moment. "Well, that's who I am now, so I suppose," she finally answered.</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Then it is your real name, as far as I'm concerned." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu smiled a smile that banished her eyes until they were nothing more than slim crescents upheld by bursting cheeks. "I'm so in love with you."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I know," she replied with a matching grin. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Comfortable silence joined them under the blankets. The last licks of light were fading past the horizon as the sun made way for the moon. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu was the one to speak next. "The good news is I won't have to change my last name when I marry you: it's already Kim." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"That IS good news. Think of all that paperwork we won't have to do," Yoohyeon agreed, "I must say though, I'm a little disappointed."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>Jiu's face tensed in concern, but Yoohyeon spoke again: "That was the lamest proposal I ever heard." </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Shut up. That wasn't the real thing and you know it," Jiu complained. </em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"I know," she said, kissing her lover's pouting lips. "I would've said yes, though."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em>
      <em>
        <em>
          <em>
            <em>"Mmm," Jiu murmured contently, snuggling closer, "I know. But I want to get it right. So let's not rush; we'll be worth the wait."</em>
          </em>
        </em>
      </em>
    </em>
  </em>
</p>
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